Salford v Widnes.

When I first started going to Salford matches regularly in the late 1980s Wigan were just starting to dominate. It was the start of their very own dynasty if you like but there was another side who still captured the imagination and that was Widnes. I often refer to certain towns as Rugby League towns, hotbeds of the sport and Widnes is one of those very special places. It’s a stones throw from the City of Liverpool where football is a way of life for many but Widnes is steeped in Rugby League history and tradition. The town has its side win Challenge Cups, Championships and a very famous Word Club Challenge in 1989 that saw them crowned World Champions. So many famous players and Rugby League families have been born and bred in Widnes. 

I can remember Martin Offiah playing for Widnes against Salford in the late 80s in that wonderful side they had with players like Paul and David Hulme, Tony Myler, Andy Currier, Jonathan Davies, Kurt Sorenson. Offiah scored 58 tries in the 88/89 season which is truly remarkable. 

In the 1970s they had players like Mal Aspey, Mick Adams , Keith Elwell, Jim Mills, Ray Dutton, Stuart Wright, Doug Laughton and Eric Hughes to name a few. 

Between 1975 and 1993 Widnes reached 8 Wembley Cup finals and won four of them. They won the League Championship in 1978,1988 and 1989. The club went into a decline in the mid 1990s failing to make the inaugural Super League competition. They languished in the lower tier until promotion at the end of the 2001 season beating League leaders Leigh in the playoffs before a Grand Final victory over Oldham. 

Widnes consolidated in Super League spending four seasons there between 2002 and 2005. Another relegation meant time back in the Championship and after consecutive promotion final defeats in 2006 and 2007 they eventually got back into Super League gaining a license for the 2012 season. Since 2019 though Widnes have played outside the top flight and probably seen some of the lowest points in the clubs long and proud history. 

Looking at the landscape of our sport it certainly looks like the dream of once again playing in the Top Flight could be taken away from clubs with ambition. Doncaster are pushing hard this season while Barrow, Newcastle and Midlands are all having success in the Championship. London seem to be the team everyone expects to get the nod for Super League in 2027 and they are doing the business on the field so you certainly won’t get an argument from me if they win promotion. My fear is where does it live the rest of the clubs. Oldham seemed right up there last season with real lofty expectations but sadly things seem to be going down hill fast with them once again playing out of town. 

I sincerely hope that all teams get a fair chance in future seasons to achieve their dreams and goals. Otherwise it’s not really sport is it? 

Post war League home record.

Salford 35

Draws 3

Widnes 18

2018 Salford 32 Widnes 6 (Middle eight Qualifiers)

2018 Salford 26 Widnes 12

2017 Salford 30 Widnes 10

2016 Salford 28 Widnes 20

2015 Salford 36 Widnes 8

2014 Salford 36 Widnes 6

2013 Salford 4 Widnes 24

2012 Salford 8 Widnes 46

2005 Salford 34 Widnes 16

2004 Salford 14 Widnes 13

2004 Salford 24 Widnes 12

2002 Salford 20 Widnes 24

1996 Salford 46 Widnes 14

1995 Salford 45 Widnes 4

1995 Salford 35 Widnes 18

1993 Salford 33 Widnes 19

1993 Salford 12 Widnes 48

1991 Salford 10 Widnes 18

1989 Salford 16 Widnes 28

1988 Salford 15 Widnes 2

1987 Salford 0 Widnes 18

1986 Salford 22 Widnes 16

1986 Salford 22 Widnes 6

1984 Salford 12 Widnes 22

1980 Salford 16 Widnes 8

1979 Salford 16 Widnes 16

1978 Salford 10 Widnes 10

1978 Salford 12 Widnes 20

1976 Salford 9 Widnes 13

1975 Salford 30 Widnes 10

1974 Salford 10 Widnes 9

1974 Salford 19 Widnes 7

1973 Salford 17 Widnes 7

1970 Salford 8 Widnes 13

1969 Salford 29 Widnes 3

1967 Salford 15 Widnes 3

1966 Salford 16 Widnes 15

1966 Salford 7 Widnes 5

1965 Salford 10 Widnes 16

1964 Salford 9 Widnes 15

1962 Salford 2 Widnes 15

1960 Salford 18 Widnes 9

1959 Salford 5 Widnes 20

1957 Salford 5 Widnes 16

1957 Salford 16 Widnes 0

1956 Salford 18 Widnes 12

1954 Salford 3 Widnes 10

1954 Salford 20 Widnes 3

1952 Salford 8 Widnes 0

1952 Salford 14 Widnes 11

1951 Salford 18 Widnes 0

1949 Salford 13 Widnes 0

1949 Salford 5 Widnes 5

1948 Salford 4 Widnes 2

1946 Salford 6 Widnes 10

1946 Salford 11 Widnes 7

They played for both.

There are quite a lot to be honest so I’ve selected a few from years gone by and some from not so long ago.

Richie Barnett, keith Bentley, Eric Prescott, Craig Coleman, Jason Critchley, John Duffy, Cliff Eccles, Ensene Famailo, Joe Famailo, Matt Gardner, Aaron Moule, Adrian Hadley, Karl Hammond, Tim Hartley, Gareth Hock, Rangi Chase, David Hulme, Craig Makin, Stephen Myler, Richie Myler, Stephen Nash, Gareth O Brien, Terry O Connor, Kieran O Loughlin, Lokeni Savelio, Trevor Stockley, Kevin Tamati, David Myers, Steve Tyrer, Nathan Connell Dan Murray, Andy Gregory,  Adam Lawton and Phil Waring.

A match to remember  Sunday 27th August 1995.

Salford 45 Widnes 4.

After the storm of the 1994/95 season which saw the 16 team First Division relegate six teams as the sport headed towards the new summer era Salford and Widnes were two of the sides that finished outside the safety of the top ten. Featherstone, Salford, Wakefield, Widnes and Hull were all relegated to the second division whilst bottom side Doncaster went down to the third division. 

Keighley Cougars won the second division but in one of the biggest injustices I’ve seen in the sport they weren’t allowed promotion. Instead fourth placed London were promoted having finished seven points behind the Cougars. 

In the early months of 1995 the short winter Centenary Season would take place before the summer era and Super League would commence in spring 1996. 

Clubs in the First Division knew that no one would be promoted after the short winter season but it was good preparation for what was to come. Salford under coach Andy Gregory looked more determined than ever. We had assembled a very experienced squad with a real good blend of young players to complement the old stagers. 

You could have been pardoned for feeling quite bitter missing out on the razzmatazz of the new Super League but the players and supporters knew the mission in front of us.

It all started at Whitehaven on Wednesday 23rd August with a 2-14 victory before our first home match of the 20 game season with Widnes. As I mentioned just earlier it seemed a real fall from grace for Widnes who had enjoyed great success in the previous decade.

Salford had Sam Panapa at half back alongside a fresh faced Ian Watson. The Reds made a blistering start to the match and despite Widnes having some really useful players in their lineup including brothers Paul and David Hulme, Salford were in complete control. 

Nathan McAvoy starred scoring two tries and hard working forward Craig Randall also bagged a brace. Watson was the star of the show kicking five goals and a drop goal to ease Salford to a real statement victory.

Salford went on to win the League in the Centenary Division finishing seven points in front of runners up Keighley Cougars. The 1996 season started in the spring and we repeated the success to be crowned Champions for the second consecutive season finishing six points clear of Keighley and this gained us promotion to Super League. 

The teams that day,

Salford, Hampson, McAvoy, Martin, Naylor, Rogers, Panapa, Watson, Young, Lee, Eccles, Forber, Randall, M.Gregory.

Subs, A.Gregory, Webster.

Widnes, Broadbent, Devereux, Peachy, Wright, Hadley, Ashton, D Hulme, Makin, Gartland, Hansen, P Hulme, Collier, McCurrie.

Subs, Ruane, Myler. 

Referee, Nick Oddy

Attendance, 2886.

Sunday’s match.

Sunday’s match against Widnes will be Dave Hewitt’s sixth game in charge of Salford so for me he’s a little bit more than an interim coach. I think the players agree that Dave is now the gaffer and I really hope he is given the job and allowed to build this side up over the coming years. This is a fantastic opportunity for Salford to let a young coach build something special. Dave is only 30years of age but the knowledge he has gained along with the network of people and players he knows is very valuable. Dave has a young family and a very good job outside the sport but if both parties can make this happen it will be very exciting to see what could be achieved. Continuity in sport is pretty rare these days. Coaches and players come and go but if you think about it clubs seem to build success over a period of time and usually the coach has been there for a significant number of years. Perhaps patience and stability is the key. 

Our opponents this Sunday have another very good coach in Allan Coleman. He had a successful spell at Swinton before joining Widnes ahead of the 2024 season. This current Widnes side has a few players that Salford supporters will be familiar with. Dan Murray was a real fan’s favourite in his spell at Salford and Nathan Connell came through the youth set up to establish himself as a Super League player. Liam Bent and Adam Lawton have also played at Salford earlier in their careers.

Widnes come into this weekend’s fixture in decent form having won their last four matches. The three league games they’ve lost in 2026 have all come on the road against London, Doncaster and Barrow respectively.

Salford currently sit 16th in the league table with three wins from ten matches so far. I think it’s fair to say we’ve relied heavily on loan players in certain matches but with the recent signings of players on longer term contracts it does seem like we are steadily putting the building blocks in place. Let’s not forget around six months ago we didn’t even have a single player on the books so it’s been a very hard road so far. That road or journey if you like is probably going to get a lot tougher over the coming months and years. A culture is being put together slowly, the lads in the squad may lack experience but they all seem like good characters and people. A team that’s built around honesty and integrity might not win you the Championship but it’s a very good place to start from. 

Looking forward to the match on Sunday it promises to be a really exciting occasion. Widnes are a well supported club and this will create a good atmosphere in the stands. The season is a little stop, start at the moment with another blank weekend next week for the 1895 cup quarter finals and our game at the end of this month away to North Wales looks in serious doubt of going ahead. It’s a real concern at the moment the state of Rugby League outside the top flight. The RFL needs to be looking into what’s happening. The lack of funds that fizzle down to the Championship and grassroots Rugby League isn’t enough, it’s like an inverted pyramid. Life outside Super League is so important to the sport in the future. I think sometimes the tunnel vision of certain areas of the sport is blind to what is going on.

Super League players don’t just climb out of a box and play. They start at amateur level, community clubs, so work their way up from the lower league. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

The action gets under way at 3pm

Safe travels and enjoy the game.

Paul Whiteside. 

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