Chris Hill blasts the player welfare given to Salford's stars in cash crisis

The Irish Sun

5 days ago

CHRIS Hill has blasted the 'atrocious' player welfare he and his Salford team-mates are having to endure through their financial crisis.
Bridging finance is expected to see a winding up petition brought by HMRC, scheduled for today, adjourned and the £626,000 debt paid off.
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Chris Hill has described the player welfare he and his Salford team-mates have received as 'atrocious'
Credit: SWPIX.COM
Whether wages will be paid tomorrow, as is normal, or by the end of the month, as it contracted, is anyone's guess.
But England prop Hill is in no doubt about one thing – the support Paul Rowley's players have received from the governing body is nowhere near good enough.
He said: 'The player welfare's atrocious. It's atrocious.
'It's good within the club. Chris O'Connor's led that, but a bit wider. Putting restrictions on us, making lads roll out with injuries, it's poor.
'You saw it against Hull FC. Cain Robb gets knocked out, he stands up, blood pouring off and lets him play on. It's poor and that's just one part of it.
'When you're playing with young lads, they know you're playing with injuries and they're letting it carry on. What would you expect us to do?
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'There are still lads playing with injuries now and while Sam Hill's a great prospect, he shouldn't be playing week in, week out.
'That's not because he's noy been playing well. That's just for his welfare.
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'Youngsters like him and Nathan Connell are taking the chances and they'll learn a lot from this experience but there are a lot of lessons to be learned from this.
'They'll learn from the experience but they shouldn't be going through it.'
Hill also vented at the lack of clarity over who to tell at the Rugby Football League, adding: 'Who do we feed back to? I've not a clue.'
Eight senior stars have left Salford amid months of wage dramas as owners Sire Kailahi and Curtiz Brown scramble to pay players and staff.
Hill, who moved from Huddersfield for this season, has not thought about shipping out but he cannot blame those who had enough.
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Hill highlighted an incident involving debutant hooker Cain Robb
Credit: SWPIX.COM
The 37-year-old told SunSport: 'I've always said I understand those who've left.
'You've got to think of your family and what's best for you at the end of the day. If that was leaving, good on them.
'But I want to stay and that's what I'll do.
'Hopefully it does turn around and if it does happen, we can build off this.
'There's belief and I want to play for these boys, young lads coming through and stuff like that. I've always said that and I want to help them in as many ways as I can.
'If that means sticking it out and really grinding it out, I will do. I've stuck to my guns.
'I've stuck to what I've done throughout my career. I'll fight to the death for my team. The minute you stop enjoying it, the minute you retire.
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Salford face a winding up petition at the High Court today
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'We're still here, we're still believing and we'll fight for everything.'
Regarding the Cain Robb incident, a Rugby Football League spokesperson said it was managed between the Salford medical staff and the match officials – as suggested by post-match comments from the Salford head coach, the incident was not immediately clear.
They added: "The match officials stopped play as soon as they became aware (the tackle following), and they took appropriate action."
On the player welfare point, they commented: 'Player welfare has been a key consideration throughout the RFL's approach to the issues at Salford this season.
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'The stated priority of doing all possible to support the club through their financial problems has had a focus on ensuring players and staff being continued to be paid and maintaining the sporting integrity of the Super League competition.
'The decision to limit the club's salary cap was made in an effort to help the club address their financial issues. The RFL holds regular meetings with RL Cares and the GMB Union which would be forums for concerns to be raised.'