Salford Red Devils given points deduction for St Helens team selection

Salford Red Devils have been deducted two points for breaching “a number of RFL operational rules” surrounding their team selection for their fixture against St Helens in February.

Under the shadow of financial troubles which plagued the club over the course of 2025, the Red Devils kicked off their season by fielding a weakened side in a record-breaking 82-0 defeat by Saints.

Salford named just 16 players for their opener, including eight debutants, and will now end the campaign with four points instead of six while they have also been fined £5,000 with half of that suspended until 2029.

The Operational Rules Tribunal had been scheduled to meet on 22 April, however Salford pleaded not guilty leading to the hearing being delayed twice, firstly because the club requested a postponement due to the unavailability of their legal representative.

“Over the last month, the Salford management have accepted that the team chosen for the match was significantly weaker than it needed to be,” an RFL statement said.

“Several first-team players advertised as being unable to play in the match were in fact available to be selected. The club accept that this offence merited a points deduction.”

It is unclear whether Salford will play in Super League next season after a torrid season both on and off the pitch with financial problems overshadowing the campaign.

Last week, it was confirmed that the club had not applied to be in next season’s expanded 14-team Super League.