Salford v Oldham.

I hope you are all well and had a great Christmas. I’ll start by wishing you a Happy New Year. Well where do I start this first match Preview of 2026?

So much happened during in the close season and it all seemed very frantic in that short window of time between mid December and the start of January. 

I am not going to talk about 2025 because as supporters the punishment we went through was enough for a lifetime. If I am honest I didn’t think we would play in 2026. Logistically it looked like we would run out of time. Thankfully Mason Caton-Brown, Paul Hancock and Malcom Crompton have put a consortium together to lead the club forward into the future. People in the wider Rugby League world might have their own opinions but for me this is still the Salford RLFC that I fell in love with as a young lad. It’s a Salford of Risman, Todd, Dixon, Coulman, Watkins, Hesketh, Charlton, Gill, Fletcher, Gibson, Evans, Blakeley, Lee, Littler, Alker and Hastings. It’s just the next chapter now under what looks like an honest and open leadership of people we can trust. 

As a supporter you shouldn’t have to worry about the day to day runnings of the club. It’s our job to support the team and the players week in and week out. I am under no illusions that this new season is going to be very tough. We need to manage our expectations carefully. A lot of rebuilding work needs to be done. All that said though I think we will enjoy the hard work. All of us doing our bit to put smiles back on faces and restore the pride and love that we have for our Salford RLFC. People have dedicated massive parts of their lives to Salford Rugby and for me personally when the team walk out against Oldham I will clutch my scarf that little bit tighter and shout that little bit louder. I felt a huge sense of relief when I listened to our new CEO Ryan Brierley. His podcast with Rob Parkinson on Devil In The Detail was very heart warming. I was disappointed when Ryan left to join Oldham last year but I don’t really know the full circumstances of that move, the whole situation at that point was such a mess as we were just fulfilling fixtures for the sake of the League really. Brierley is a very astute talker of our sport and in my opinion in the new role he has I am certain he will do what’s right by our club. With Salford people running the club the whole landscape feels a lot safer.

It seems a long time since we played Oldham in a league match. After relegation from Super League at the end of the 1997 season the Roughyeds almost got back to the top flight in 2001 but lost the National League Grand Final against Widnes. A fantastic match at Spotland stadium Rochdale saw Widnes beat Oldham 24-14 in front of almost 9,000 supporters. 

Since leaving their spiritual home of Watersheddings Oldham were very nomadic and played matches all over the local area including Bower Fold Stalybridge, Hurst Cross Ashton, Whitebank stadium Limeside and also spells at Boundary park where Oldham Athletic football play. 

After various financial difficulties Oldham now appears to be settled at Boundary park. The club seems very stable with attendances on the increase and a very impressive squad has been put together. In 2006 the Roughyeds are one of the fancied teams to challenge in the championship. They have ambitious plans to join Super League in the near future and for a town steeped in Rugby League heritage with a booming amateur scene it’s nice to see the club on the up after a generation in the doldrums. 

League home record.

Played 80

Salford 42

Draw 4

Oldham 34

2003 Salford 44 Oldham 12

1997 Salford 35 Oldham 26

1994/95 Salford 12 Oldham 16

1993/94 Salford 23 Oldham 26

1988/89 Salford 38 Oldham 20

1986/87 Salford 36 Oldham 30

1985/86 Salford 20 Oldham 34

1983/84 Salford 10 Oldham 50

1981/82 Salford 7 Oldham 17

1980/81 Salford 7 Oldham 22

1976/77 Salford 33 Oldham 12

1975/76 Salford 8 Oldham 8

1973/74 Salford 15 Oldham 12

1972/73 Salford 18 Oldham 10

1969/70 Salford 30 Oldham 3

1968/69 Salford 4 Oldham 2

1967/68 Salford 12 Oldham 6

1966/67 Salford 15 Oldham 13

1965/66 Salford 12 Oldham 11

1964/65 Salford 5 Oldham 9

1963/64 Salford 8 Oldham 43

1961/62 Salford 4 Oldham 50

1960/61 Salford 7 Oldham 26

1959/60 Salford 12 Oldham 12

1958/59 Salford 14 Oldham 9

1957/58 Salford 5 Oldham 14

1956/57 Salford 3 Oldham 27

1955/56 Salford 0 Oldham 24

1953/54 Salford 11 Oldham 11

1952/53 Salford 4 Oldham 8

1951/52 Salford 5 Oldham 19

1950/51 Salford 12 Oldham 9

1949/50 Salford 11 Oldham 2

1948/49 Salford 20 Oldham 9

1947/48 Salford 9 Oldham 0

1946/47 Salford 5 Oldham 14

1945/46 Salford 8 Oldham 25

1940/41 Salford 3 Oldham 2

1939/40 Salford 21 Oldham 14

1938/39 Salford 14 Oldham 4

1937/38 Salford 5 Oldham 16

1936/37 Salford 5 Oldham 2

1935/36 Salford 23 Oldham 7

1934/35 Salford 25 Oldham 2

1933/34 Salford 18 Oldham 8

1932/33 Salford 44 Oldham 0

1931/32 Salford 5 Oldham 7

1930/31 Salford 3 Oldham 8

1929/30 Salford 5 Oldham 2

1928/29 Salford 10 Oldham 0

1927/28 Salford 4 Oldham 8

1926/27 Salford 5 Oldham 5

1925/26 Salford 0 Oldham 10

1924/25 Salford 0 Oldham 5

1923/24 Salford 8 Oldham 18

1922/23 Salford 10 Oldham 0

1921/22 Salford 0 Oldham 23

1920/21 Salford 3 Oldham 12

1919/20 Salford 3 Oldham 9

1916/17 Salford 9 Oldham 10 (unofficial wartime league)

1915/16 Salford 3 Oldham 3 ( unofficial wartime league)

1914/15 Salford 0 Oldham 8

1913/14 Salford 6 Oldham 5

1912/13 Salford 16 Oldham 5

1911/12 Salford 0 Oldham 8

1910/11 Salford 11 Oldham 16

1909/10 Salford 9 Oldham 8

1908/09 Salford 13 Oldham 19

1907/08 Salford 5 Oldham 0

1906/07 Salford 17 Oldham 15

1905/06 Salford 2 Oldham 0

1904/05 Salford 10 Oldham 0

1903/04 Salford 2 Oldham 8

1902/03 Salford 3 Oldham 0

1901/02 Salford 6 Oldham 0

1900/01 Salford 0 Oldham 10

1899/00 Salford 0 Oldham 6

1898/99 Salford 6 Oldham 3

1897/98 Salford 10 Oldham 6

1896/97 Salford 0 Oldham 9

They played for both.

Over the years plenty of players have represented both clubs, below is a list with quite a few on.

Danny Arnold, Matty Ashurst, Simon Baldwin, Andy Ballard, Liam Bent, Robert Blackwood, Dave Bradbury, Ged Byrne, Adam Clay, John Clough, Tony Conroy, Alex Davidson, Austin Donegan, Tyler Dupree, Joe Faimalo, Martin Foy, Bill Francis, Paul Groves, Ken Gwilliam, Danny Halliwell, Joey Hayes, Graham Holroyd, Will Hope, Bob Irving, Josh Johnson, Phil Jospeh, Steve Kerry, Craig Kopzack, Francis Maloney, Martin Crompton, Bob Marsden, Lee Marsh, Iain Marsh, Chris Morley, Jack Ormondroyd, Gareth Owen, Paul Southern, Simon Svabic, Elijah Taylor, Jordan Turner, Ian Watson and Mick Worrall.

A match to remember Friday 28th March 1997.

Salford 35 Oldham 26.

Salford had taken the step into Super League like a duck to water. The momentum from the promotion season of 1996 had snow balled into 1997 and when Easter arrived this Good Friday match saw Andy Gregory’s Reds in fantastic form. Three victories in the Challenge Cup over top flight opponents Castleford, Paris and Warrington swept Salford into a Semi Final against the double winners from 1996 St.Helens. Despite a brave showing against Saints Salford were beaten 50-20 but were far from disgraced. Six days later our inaugural match in the Super League saw a 4-0 home win over Castleford.

Oldham arrived at the Willows under coach Andy Goodway. With half backs Martin Crompton and Francis Maloney they could create chances. 

It was a bright sunny Friday afternoon at the Willows. Salford’s former Australian test forward John Cartwright had a barnstormer of a first half as both sides played some exciting attacking rugby. 

Steve Blakeley and Ian Watson combined brilliantly in the halves for the Reds. Blakeley was pinpoint as usual with his goal kicking and the tricky youngster Watson scored a try and dropped a goal. 

Salford’s other tries came from Blakeley, Forber, Naylor, Platt and Rogers. Easter got better with another win on Monday at the Willows against Paris 27-26 to make it three from three. Salford were top of the table with wins over Halifax and Sheffield in the following weeks. A remarkable start to a special season in the club’s history. 

The teams that day, 

Salford, Jason Lawrence, Fata Sini, Scott Martin, Nathan McAvoy, Darren Rogers, Steve Blakeley, Ian Watson, Andy Platt, Peter Edwards, Cliff Eccles, John Cartwright, Ensene Faimalo, Paul Forber.

Subs, Scott Naylor, Craig Randall, Lokeni Savelio, Andy Burgess. 

Oldham, 

Rob Myler,  Scott Ranson,  Darren Abram, Paul Atcheson, Afi Leuila, Francis Maloney, Martin Crompton, Ian Gildart, John Clarke, Bret Goldspink, Gary Lord,  Joe Faimalo, David Bradbury.

Subs, Howard Hill, Luke Goodwin, Paul Davidson, Chris McKinney.

Referee, John Connolly 

Attendance, 5,295

Friday’s match.

The last time the two sides met in a League match was back in may 2003 in what was the National League one. Oldham were victorious in the last meeting of the two clubs. That was a National League Cup group game on a very chilly Friday night in February 2008. The Roughyeds won that match 18-14 against Shaun McRae’s Salford City Reds at Boundary Park. 

Oldham have gone from strength to strength in recent seasons after promotion from League one. In 2024 they won 19 of 20 matches to be promoted as League One champions. Another successful campaign in 2025 saw them finish fourth in the Championship before being beaten by Halifax in the playoffs. 

With all that said and the predicament Salford have been in the past few months you’d make Oldham the favourites for Friday nights fixture. 

Last week they signed Jack Walker who looked very promising in his short spell at Salford last year. It’s another body blow to the supporters that we couldn’t secure Walker’s services for 2026 and at the time of writing this preview a week before the first match we’ve signed up fifteen players. All young lads with very limited experience but lads that the supporters will take in their hearts from the first kickoff. 

It was a huge boost to see Sam Hill, Charlie Glover and Fin Yates return. The trio gained valuable experience in the top flight last season and have really big futures with Salford. Jack Gatcliffe, Josh Wagstaffe and Leundou Barydel-Wells made debuts last season in a very testing time. They all showed tremendous character. Lewis Pilling, Joe Hartley, Oscar Hansen, Owen Haldenby, Ollie Garmston, Noah Appleby, Cole Appleby, Jacob Andrews-Smith and Damola Ayanlaja-Lowo are all in the squad and will need our full backing. 

New Salford Head coach Mike Grady was appointed last week along with his assistant Dave Hewitt. The pair worked together with the Salford women’s team last year and know each other well. Hewitt’s playing career finished at the end of the 2024 season having come through the academy at St.Helens. Ironically he spent a large part of his playing days with Oldham where he made over 100 appearances along with spells at Sheffield Eagles, Rochdale Hornets and Midlands Hurricanes. I’d like to wish them both the best of luck on the eve of the new season.

It promises to be an emotional night. The Salford supporters can finally relax and enjoy the Rugby on the pitch without the off field distractions. With a team full of new players and staff, new heroes will be made. New fan’s favourites and cult heroes. Supporting Salford RLFC is about making memories that will last a lifetime. Of course there will be disappointment and let downs on the journey but that’s what makes being part of a sporting club so special. 

They are your club, your family and you’d be lost without them. 

Safe travels and enjoy the match.

The action gets under way at 8pm.

Paul Whiteside. 

Big thanks to Steve McCormick for the photos and the Salford match day programme.