Paul Rowley: Salford Red Devils boss ‘challenged but excited’ by club’s woes

Salford rarely looked threatened during Thursday’s victory, which came off the back of beating Bradford Bulls in the Challenge Cup at the weekend.

Those two wins came with the Red Devils losing significant squad members as talismanic half-back Marc Sneyd joined Warrington and prop Brad Singleton moved to Castleford as the effects of the sustainability cap began to bite.

That cap had been lifted after week one with the proposed takeover by an investment group led by Swiss banker Dario Berta progressing, but a delay in funds being transferred led to wages for February being held up and the cap was reintroduced.

Asked whether he has seen an improvement in his abilities based on the experiences of the past few months, Rowley said: “I’m not sure it makes me a better coach, it’s just another experience to add into the CV.

“I’m pretty well travelled now in League One, the Championship and Super League – bankruptcy, top of the league, bottom of the league.

“I’m not sure that there’s too many that have travelled the same path or who would want to, either. But you get wise through experiences and you learn from them.

“If you look at how you’ve dealt with certain situations you can improve next time that might happen. Your understanding of people and emotions is better.

“It makes you a better person. For me, tough times give you empathy and understanding. I understand that all our players need from me all the time is consistency, clarity and honesty and that’s what I try and give.”