We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell.

Well lots has happened in the world of Salford City Reds since my last blog both good and bad.

Brian Noble has settled into his new job but lost the services of assistant coach Sean Long to Wigan Warriors, Long who was given credit for some of our attacking displays since taking up his role and nurturing talents such as Theo Fagas and Mark Sneyd will in my opinion be a big loss.

Time and people move on so I would like to welcome Andy Hay and Stuart Donlan to Salford.  Both were solid professionals on the field and im sure they have taken a lot from coaches they have played for during their careers and with Brian Noble at the head of our coaching Pyramid its somthing to build on.

The Devil wears prada...and a salford shirt

Dr Koukash decision to rename our club Salford Red Devils is a wonderful decision,  as we are the original Red Devils because of our exploits in france in the 1930s it can be seen as a hat tip to our history and heritage.

I never really bought into the "city reds" tag line we had no identity for the outside world to buy into. (what is a city red??)

With our new identity The Red Devils v the Giants or Wolves gives the match a bit of sparkle and hopefully allow our marketing department to reach out to the people of salford and surrounding areas and promote and start building our fanbase.

Another great decision made by the good Dr was promoting the Bradford game with students in the area and going into schools and giving away free tickets to the children and free parking on a matchday.

Even tho im not a big fan of free tickets as they usually end up in the hands of Reds who are looking for a "free week" this time it seemed to have worked with a big crowd of 5500.

Even tho the match ended up being a bit of a stodge fest and salford lost I saw and heard enough from families attending that they enjoyed the experience and would come again.

The trick for the Doctor is not to fall into the trap the previous management did and give away tickets to anyone who wants one. If I was in control (it would be a mad mad world of I was) I'd be back to the schools with tickets for a fiver and be building a relationships with these schools sending Players/Neville, the Dr again and even our Marketing department to see if we could tap into what the youth want and make salford a club the children can buy into.

Children who are supporters are so important if you get enough bitten by the bug of following salford they will be a supporter all their lives which will be great for the future.

12....13...14....oh bugger...

Brian Nobles 1st win as Salford coach was overshaddowed by the news we fielded a extra man at a crucial time of the game against Castleford.  Even tho the extra man was only on for less than a minute the RFL seemed fit to fine Salford £10, 000.

Personally I think its an outrageous decision but I do feel that because the Dr is our new owner and he hasnt held back in his views on what needs to change in the game. Its more of a attempt to put him back in his box by the RFL.

I think the way the Doctor goes about his business is brilliant roughing up feathers where ever he can and basically promoting salford and the sport.
I say more power to your elbow Marwan dont take a backward step.

As for form we have lost heavy to both wigan and Warrington in the last few weeks and lost to Bradford but ive read Nobbys book and in there he does state that teams who are going through change often go backwards 1st before going forward so im not too concerned.

Fact remains Brian Noble has a big job on and can't really be judged until he gets his hands on his players next season.

In the mean time lets hope the current set of players who have this golden opportunity to stake a claim for a contract and shirt continue to give 100%, pick up a few more wins and move off the bottom of the table.

Never a dull moment moving forward and Welcome Brian Noble

  Well what an exciting 5 weeks its been to be a Salford fan, Alan Hunte took over head coach duties while the doctor was searching for a new coach.
His approach has been a breath of fresh air giving young players an extended run in the team rather than the usual suspects which has resulted in much more positive performances and results.

Defensively we look stronger and the players look to be enjoying their rugby again which can only be a positive thing for Salford and the direction the club is going.
Special mentions to Sneyd, Fagas, Griffin and Dixon who have certainly found another gear with the "Rugby Genius" in charge and im sure we will be reaping the rewards of blooding these players in the near future.

Guess who? go on Guess again

Well now the search for head coach has finished and Brian Noble has been appointed can I take this opportunity to congratulate the club on their performance during the selection process.
Usually somebody knows what is going on though hearsay or being in the right place at the right time.
Through excellent spin in the media with the "which Brian?" Guessing game and strong leadership by Reds CEO Ed Farish not being drawn into any answers the cat was only let out of the bag when the Dr was seen mooching round Doncaster Races with Noble by his side.

Ive read Brian Nobles book Coaching winning teams and I do feel he is the right man for the job.
This job is arguably his biggest challenge to date building a successful team with a winning mentality from a club with a culture which doesn't have any will test him to the limit
It will take time but for the 1st time in my life time (31 years) we have installed a head coach who has been a successful head coach before who is respected throughout the game.

Brian Noble builds successful teams which is what is needed here and I for one wish him all the best as we currently lie bottom of the superleague the challenge is there for all to see.

Where ever salford play that's where we'll be......if you tell me!

As we share the stadium with the sale sharks and even tho I have no interest in the game of rugby union I have taken an interest in how they do the simple things off the field.
Every home game they and their supporters trust produce posters advertising any events supporters trust related / club related / away game travel info and stick them up in the bar area and around the ground for fans to digest

They arnt pieces of marketing genius its basically a list of all the away games in that month, the time the coach leaves, how much and where you can buy a ticket allowing people to plan ahead when it comes to supporting the team away from home.

Our very own supporters trust FOREVER REDS (www.foreverreds.co.uk) has followed suit with adverts for sponsor a try fundraiser, Retro bag and T-shirts selling and publicising meetings to people who are unaware they take place. Im sure in the future further events will be organised and promoted accordingly.
The club eventually got organised and produced a very good poster to advertise the St Helens away game / travel but then shot its self in the foot with no details regarding travel to Bradford Easter Monday.

Consistency is key im sure our away following would increase in number and give better support if coach travel to away games were advertised and deals perhaps in conjunction with Forever Reds or the new Junior Devils scheme (when its finally announced) were offered to fans who pick and choose their away games.

I just want the Salford City Stadium to feel like home on a matchday. With the stadium management team decorating the supporters bar with salford memorabilia, salford badges appearing around the place on kiosks and grand plans of further personalisation in the future its just the little things that make all the difference.

So come on club lets get the message out.

Battle of the Brians - Noble v Smith for Salford Head Coach role

I believe that being head coach of Salford City Reds is the hardest job in Rugby league.

As the good Doctor Marwan Koukash has said many times Salford are the original sleeping giant with both citys of Salford and Manchester to tap into for support.
If Salford City Reds were to be successful for a prolonged period which involved trophy winning the crowds who may turn up could be huge.

With success and trophy winning sides in the 1930s and the 1970s Salford City Reds are due another shot at glory, but after the recent sacking of Phil Vievers who is the man with the help of the good Doctors enthusiasm and hard cash to turn the players who currently have the honour of wearing the sacred Reds shirt from bottom of the table to grandfinal winners hopefully one day in the future.

Currently in the press 2 names stand out as potential favourites for Head Coach at Salford, they are Brian Noble and the other is Brian Smith.

Brian Noble

Brian Noble is one of Britain's most successful rugby league coaches, During his career he coached Bradford Bulls to grandfinal victories in 2001, 2003 and 2005. During this very successful period he also won a challenge cup in 2003 and World Club Championships beating the best of Australia in 2002, 2004 and 2006.

When he finally left Bradford Bulls in 2006 his win percentage was 81% which is for any coach is outstanding.

Between 2004 to 2006 he also coached on the international stage with Great Britain doing battle against rivals New Zealand and Australia.

In 2006 he was employed by Wigan Warriors who were at the time after some heavy defeats and poor performances embroiled in a relegation dog fight.

His main aim was to save them from relegation. which with a lot of hard work from his players and his usual high quality coaching his team only just finished out side of the playoffs such was the turn around in form and confidence of his players.

Over the next 2 years he slowly rebuilt the club and turned it into a club which was competing for silverware.
Unfortunately this never came while he was at Wigan but from where Wigan Warriors were physical and mentally low and performing poorly when he arrived to where they were when he left which was one game away from a grandfinal it must be seen as a success.

In 2009 he was approached by Celtic Crusaders to become head coach, in the one season he was there he managed to turn them from basement dwellers to a playoff team. This shows he has the ability to build successfully team from scratch.

Since being out of the game he has written a book called Building Winning Teams as well as being employed by various teams in various roles in both codes of rugby as well as appearing on the BBC as a rugby league pundit.

This shows me he is still hungry to learn and further improve his coaching skills which will certainly be a good thing if the doctor decides that Brian Noble is the man to lead his Reds Revolution.

Brian smith

Brian smith is one of the most successful coaches to come out of Australia.

For the last 28 years he has coached at the highest level both in Australia and Great Britain.

He has reached 4 grandfinals in Australia with 3 separate club's (St George Dragons 1992 and 1993, Paramatta Eels 2001 after finishing top of the league and Sydney City Roosters in 2010.

The season before Sydney city Roosters coached by Brad Fittler finished bottom of the pile, so Brian Smith managed in one season to turn a team of wooden spoonists to Grandfinalists with his fantastic coaching.

His win percentage record for all 3 clubs were 58% (St George) 57% (Paramatta) and  61% (Sydney Roosters) shows his teams win and win well during his time as head coach.

He also collected the Daily M coach of the year award in Australia in 2010 which shows that he still a fantastic coach.

He is a pioneer always looking to improve his coaching and the game of rugby league, while in charge of Illawarra Steelers his 1st coaching role in 1984 he suggested that 2 referees should officiate on the field at the same time this eventually became a reality in the NRL in 2009.

He has experience of English Rugby league coaching Hull FC between 1988 to 1990 and also Bradford Bulls in 1996 with a win percentage of 77%  he coached his team all the way to the Challenge Cup Final where they were defeated by St Helens.

In 2010 he coached on the international scene as he worked as a assistant coach for Steve Mcnamara's England team in the 4 nations.

Since leaving The Roosters in 2012 he has been working part time as a defence coach in Australian Rugby Union this shows he still has the desire to pick up new skills to improve his ability to be a head coach.

Brian Smith is a 1st class coach his record is there for all to see he would certainly be the world class coach Dr Marwan Koukash craves to start his Salford revolution.

If I was to choose a head coach for salford I would go for Brian Noble, this is because he has coached in super league all his career he knows it inside out and knows what it takes to create a successful team. As its always a risk to import an Australian coach on how he will adapt to engish life and style of play I do feel the tried and trusted home grown coach is the way to go and if you have the most successful super league coach available it seems a perfect fit.

Viva gonna leavea and who next for the hot seat

After Friday nights defeat by London the Dr speaking to GMR was not to pleased with his sides performance and vowed that such ineptness would never happen again.

After watching the video again (which would have been grim) has obviously decided that Phil Vievers was the man who the axe should land on.

Personally I do feel a little sorry for Phil Vievers with his win ratio only second after the same amount of games to Andy Gregory, Salfords most successful coach in super league era.  Playing an exciting brand of rugby last season but with a squad assist stripped before Dr Koukash arrived was on a hiding to nothing even with new player's purchased in the last few weeks.

On the flip side 1 win in last 12 super league matches for a club Salford want to be isn't good enough and defensive frailties there for all to see with nearly 200 points conceded in the last 5 games maybe the Dr thinks a change of head coach will improve performances on the field.

The big question is who has the doctor in mind to galvanize the players and create a winning culture at the club.

It could be YOU?...you.....or even you.

With the Dr demanding the best and having the money to recruit it the Salford head coach role is now a different kettle of fish and will have a long list of applicants.

Salford City Reds are rugby leagues sleeping giant and in my opinion the biggest job in Rugby league.
Its easy to amend an already successful club or to continue to be successful if the right structures are in place but to build a successful dynasty from scratch will test even the most successful coach.

Lots of names in the frame early doors both with Salford links and not.
Bobby Goulding has been mentioned,  Malcom Alker and Matt Parish would be a blast from the past.  Would this kind of appointment be good for the club? In my opinion no we are a new club basically being run with a clean slate running through it and bringing back colourful characters would be a backward step.

Coaches based in England can't be ignored Brian Noble has a very impressive record and has been successful where ever he has been winning super league titles and challenge cups.
John Kear a coach who builds teams that are very motivated and has also won challenge cups could also be in the mix.
Tony smith of Warrington would be an excellent choice, he is an excellent forward thinking coach and would certainly send the club into orbit regarding preparation and coaching but I suspect the Dr would have to send a huge lorry load of money down the M62 to get a sniff of a chance.

As I dont follow Australian Rugby league I am not going to stick a particular name in the frame.
Doing a bit of research lots of salford fans are mentioning Brian smith who has had a very succesful career and voted coach of the year in 2010 Daily M awards, Tim Sheens who maybe looking for work in 2014 but currently Australian National Coach, Stephen Kearney who won a world cup with New Zealand, Daniel Anderson was very successful last time around in Super league and Royce Simmons may fancy another crack at super league and to build a dynasty to cover past failure to do so with St Helens.

Time will tell who the Dr will choose to coach salford but in reality the new man will need time and  new Xfactor player's to make their time in charge a success.  

Start your engines. ..

Well what an exciting 1st few weeks of the season to be a Salford fan. The good Dr and his carefully chosen management team have been busy making headlines in both the regional and national press which is great.
We have been linked with serious offers for likes of Sam Tomkins,; Rangi Chase, Adrian Morley and Luke O'dwyer. This has put the wind up a few in the rugby league family that salford may start walking the walk as well as talking the talk.

Personally we have lacked go forward in the last few years so the signings of Darrell Griffin and Vic Mauro is a massive step in the right direction.
On the field we have been improving winning our last game at home to Hull KR.A victory which many Reds would not have predicted 10 minutes in to the 2nd half.
The players showed a lot of heart to battle back to win and its a good sign that when times are hard which they will be at times this season they will dig in and that as fans is all we can ask.

Drinks in the fans bar 

Another massive improvement on the match day experience is the new and improved fans bar. With classic Salford games being shown before the game on large TVs, interviews with past and present players and decent beer prices this is certainly becoming the must go place before and after a game for any red. If you haven't tried it yet do...you won't be disappointed.

Last week I bumped into Salfords new CEO Ed Farish when he joined the Dr in the bar to enjoy post match celebrations with the fans.
He seemed like a good bloke totally focused on the job in hand, loves his rugby league and willing to listen to the average Joe fan like me which is a good sign.
He was also a guest at the last Forever Reds supporters trust meeting (www.foreverreds.co.uk) and was a very good and informative guest.

I'm totally confident the structure we have in place will take us to the next level both on and off the field.
While I was in there I purchased a Retro Salford RL man bag / kit bag from Forever Reds. It is fabulous, Certainty the best thing produced in years both officially and Unofficially from the club so a little hat tip for the boys who produced it I hope there is more to come.

Another good thing happening is supporters buses running from Walkden, Irlam and Cadishead.
Lots of reds live in these areas and if promoted correctly through schools and local clubs in these areas will further improve supporter numbers coming to games. 

Do YOUR bit...promote. ..share and click 

So with Salfords social media / marketing team going hell for leather at present bombarding us with positive news regarding the club its up to us fans to do our bit and help promote the club.
The 350 people who are not already Salford fans on my social media outlets get a healthy supply of Salford news / reviews / posters to read through and digest.

This has worked so far very well with lots of interest regarding tickets and even Tweeting / Facebooking congratulatory messages about salfords 1st win.
Supporting Salford is like an addiction to some but we all started somewhere whether it was at school or through family we all started on the journey with a introduction to the club we have grown to love.

 From little acorns big trees grow and if a positive Salford news story arrives on a lapse Salfords fan news feed or a person who enjoys sport sees an opportunity to give watching rugby league a go with their local rugby team one click of a button and it may change their lives in a positive way forever.

So do your bit "copy share and click"

Preview of 2013 season Salford Reds to Rise again?

The time has come again, the time we have all been waiting for super league 2013 is about to start and we all wait with baited breath about the journey Salford will undertake this season.

As of 8 weeks ago it didn't look like we were going to make the season, crippled by £600k worth of debt and no obvious income streams available the situation looked at best bleak.

So in the next 4 weeks the fans put in a huge effort raising over £35k to try and make a difference. Such generosity by people giving up their time and hard earned money was very touching and showed how much we care about the club
In my opinion then a miricle happened,  just like an angel appearing on your death bed Dr Marwan Koukash made his intentions known through Nigel wood and super league Europe to purchase the club. After a few weeks hard negotiating it looks like The Doctor got what he wanted  and the club has been saved. There has been an outpouring of emotions happiness and relief that the club has been saved. A feel good factor has emerged and currently us fans are riding a wave of positivity going into the start of the season somthing of such strength ive never seen at salford. It can only be a positive thing going into week 1.

New player's for 2013

As I write this we currently have 8 new player's Andrew Dixon, Martin Gleeson and Ryan McGoldrick all solid professionals. Martin Gleeson is genuine class if he stays fit and focused and will ask a lot of questions in attack. From Australia we have purchaed Liam Foran and Vic Mauro from Manly Sea Eagles and Connor Higgins from South sydney on a 3 month trial All three from what I have read and seen on You tube will help us to complete in super league. We also have two players on loan Rhys Williams from Warrington and young fullback Jack Murphy from wigan both have Super league experience and will improve again this season with salford in my opinion. Im hoping that our transfer dealings haven't come to an end for this season as we require a couple of big forwards to put some muscle in our pack. We will have to wait and see if Marwan gets his men.

Predictions for on the field we have to be realistic the start of the season the fixtures have not been kind, we dont have the creativity or experience in the pivot positions, the big forwards or know how to mount a playoff charge. What we have in our favour is youth and heart, what the players have been through over the last few month has obviously brought the players closer together and hopefully when matches become a battle of wills this will come to the surface. I Would like to wish the players of Salford City Reds luck in the journey they are about to embark on this seson. As long as the players give 100% in every game, show pride in the shirt, themselves and the City Of Salford on every occasion they put on the sacred red shirt us the fans will back you till the hilt the the results will look after themselves

Begining of a new era at Salford City Reds

As I write this the takeover of Salford City Reds by Dr Marwan Koukash is about to take place. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome to him to Salford with open arms.

From what I have read he seems a very successful man who has worked hard to get to where he finds himself today.
Hopefully his positive attitude towards hard work and being successful will rub off on the club and he, his fresh ideas and his management team will take us to the next level.

I dont expect a quick fix as there is less than 2 weeks before the Super league season starts and with our current squad consisting of grafters, some good kids but lacking that xfactor and a couple of big "go forward" forwards im not expecting miracles or a playoff push.

But money does talk in business and if the doctor has been clever and planned ahead (which is a very un-Salford thing to do) and appears with 8 proven super league quality players with that xfactor then my modest predictions for the season may need changing.

To be honest with you its a relief just to still have a club to support is enough for now. Big applause for the people involved in the #saveoursalford campaign who came running to aid the club in its hour of need.

There are too many to mention as we all dug deep to try and keep the club we love afloat. A special mention should go to Salford stalwart and ultimate club man Paul Highton who is the face of #saveoursalford campaign. He offered to auction his 2003 winning grandfinal shirt which obviously meant the world to him to raise funds for the campaign. Luckily a plan was hatched by supporters to buy it and give it back. The plan worked a treat it raised £500 and he looked genuinely touched by the gesture. Some things in life are meant to be kept by the people who earned them.

So to the future where do we go from here?

I dont see why all the momentum built up with the #saveoursalford campaign should be lost, how many times do us fans say "the club should do this and that". Now with this vehicle and salford city reds independant supporters trust FOREVER REDS (have you joined? If not why not?) we have the ability to go out there and promote the club in a positive light in the local community while raising money for the clubs academy players the possible stars of tomorrow.

As for the club I think it would be unfair for me to say "Doctor you need to fix ABC" so early in his stint of ownership at Salford and with his own management team in place ill presume that he has plans.
But I will give him one piece of advice try and reconnect to the people of Salford and brand the reds as "their team" giving them a sence of ownership and pride.

Successfully balance that with promotions in Manchester highlighting Salford as "THE team to watch in your local area" then maybe just maybe who knows how far you can take Salford forward.