Salford Red Devils finished their season on a low coming inches from a second season in the play-offs.
But in many ways it was a good season for the Reds, building a strong foundation for the 2024 season.
Following on from their semi-final loss to St Helens, Paul Rowley’s side looked to build upon their first playoff appearance since the Grand Final defeat in 2019.
Salford reinforced their side with new additions, seeing both Adam Sidlow and Sam Stone arrive from Leigh on two year deals.
Oliver Partington and Andrew Dixon also arrived at the AJ Bell, joining from Wigan and Toulouse respectively.
The transfers were rounded off with Ben Hellewell joining in November, alongside a year-long loan for youngster Ellis Longstaff from Warrington.
Following a pre-season which saw a win against Swinton and a loss at Wigan for Warriors legend Sam Powell, the Reds went into the season away at newly promoted and rebranded Leigh Leopards.
A win against Leigh on opening night didn’t set the tone early on, seeing Salford take two consecutive losses against Hull KR and Warrington.
A dominant win against Hull FC was followed up by a nervy golden point triumph against struggling Wakefield, courtesy of a Marc Sneyd drop-goal.
Salford then travelled to Wigan but let a lead late on slip to a 20-16 defeat before Huddersfield added a second loss on the bounce to start April and bumped the Reds back out of the play-off spots.
Rivals round arrived as Salford once again travelled to Leigh, and survived a late scare to see off the Leopards 22-20.
April ended on a high for the Red Devils, with wins over Castleford and Catalans at home. Tyler Dupree and Andy Ackers received England call-ups and sat in 5th place with a third of the season gone.
The club became the first community-owned rugby league club in the northern hemisphere, with the ‘Reds Rise Together’ scheme launching. The campaign would break its target goal of £250,000 at the end of May.
The good form continued with an away win at Leeds, before falling to a second-half collapse away at St Helens, continuing a 43-year winless streak in Merseyside.
The Challenge Cup began for Salford, welcoming Huddersfield to the AJ Bell in a close encounter that ended 42-40 in the Reds’ favour.
Tyler Dupree handed in a transfer request in the days following the win, with the prop’s appeal being rejected by the club.
Despite the sour note, the month ended well with a win against an in-form Hull FC, ending their four-game winning streak.
Magic Weekend came with a trip up to St James’ Park, and a victory over Hull KR followed up with a dominant display against Castleford which temporarily put the Reds top of the table.
But the Robins chirped back when Salford travelled to Craven Park, knocking the Reds out of the Challenge Cup in the quarter-finals.
Salford’s form dipped after the loss, with Wigan claiming a win before a disappointing 32-6 defeat to relegation-threatened Wakefield.
July started with two narrow losses to Leeds and Leigh at home, before a 42-0 defeat in Perpignan to Catalans.
The Tyler Dupree transfer saga ended, with the prop switching to Wigan Warriors, with Brad Singleton moving the other way as the season reached the final stretch.
Salford slipped further down and out of the play-off spots as they welcomed St Helens back to the AJ Bell, losing 15-18 from a 15-0 lead at half time.
With the season coming to a close, Salford needed to keep pace with Warrington and Hull KR in order to secure a top six finish.
The Reds took a decisive win against Huddersfield before travelling to Wakefield and scored a Trinity of tries to secure a 20-0 win to round out August.
Yet another defeat to eventual League Shield winners Wigan put Salford in a win or-bust situation against sixth-placed Warrington.
In a contest that went down to the Wire, Sam Stone won it for Salford in golden point, sending the AJ Bell into delirium.
THE SALFORD GAMBLE HAS WON IT!!#C4League | #SuperLeague pic.twitter.com/uUUXOE87dq
— Channel 4 Sport (@C4Sport) September 10, 2023
The vital two points put Salford level with both the Wolves and the Robins as the Reds travelled once more to Craven Park.
A result could have put the Red Devils into a slightly more comfortable spot on final day, but KR shut them out, securing a 12-0 win and a place in the top six.
But it wasn’t to be as Catalans arrived in the Dirty Old Town. Salford had to beat the French outfit, and hope Warrington dropped points to Huddersfield.
The Dragons claimed a 8-19 win, ending any chances of a trip to Old Trafford for the Reds, and ended their 2023 season with a seventh placed finish and 26 points.
It was an ultimately disappointing season for the Red Devils, just narrowly missing out on a second play-off place in a row for the first time ever in the Super League era.
Despite missing out, there were signs of progress made on the pitch by Paul Rowley’s side, maintaining a near-identical record to last season’s sixth place finish.
Salford’s attacking play was still evident to see, and if not for defensive errors and second half slip ups, Salford could have been much further up the table.
Paul Rowley now looks onwards to 2024, and will look to break his side back into the top six places and hopefully bring a first ever Super League title to Salford.
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