Magic Superbeetle, my irony-ometer has just gone off the scale with your example of Myler and Warrington as they way to build a side. Next you'll be quoting us Ratchford as another type of player we should be interesed in building a team around...

Back on to the good doctor: the man has got fans on both sides of the world discussing Salford, the club who finished rock bottom of Super League last year. He's been on radio in New Zealand and in the Aussie press talking our little club and the game up. Regardless of your personal take, you've got to hand it to him, he's a one-man publicity machine...

Koukash needs to talk to Nathan Tinkler.
Tinkler actually knows about Rugby League and knew what to do with big dollars to set up a club.
First thing he did was buy the best coach in the game.
Second thing he did was buy the best trainer and support staff in the game.
Third thing he did was strike a deal for the use of top class training facilities.
After you have that in place the players all want to come to you and will sign for less than they would at a club where they are not getting the best possible coaching and training.
A couple of marquee players is good publicity and all, but the way to build a team is to start with the basics and do them better than anyone else.

I disagree, money can buy you both. How can you use Manchester City as an example of not buying prolonged time at the time after such a short period into their new ownership? They have had to spend a ridiculous amount of money to even close the huge gulf that existing between them and the top teams in the league. Of course they're not more successful as United, but until you've given their current owners around 25 years in charge it's pointless even comparing the two.



How many times have you met the man to form such a brash opinion of him? Also what are you talking about Koukash chasing the stars? You are aware Brian Noble is our head coach and is therefore in charge of recruitment, not Marwan Koukash. His job is to simply get his cheque book and sign the names given to him. The fact we've signed players like Tommy Lee, Greg Johnson, Jason Walton (i.e not stars) shows we are building a team and not chasing names that will get us in the papers.



Theo Fages is 18 years old. He should never have played as many games as he did last year, but we had no choice. The kid needs developing not drowning, working with Rangi Chase and Tim Smith for a couple of years will do his development the world of good. You'll still see plenty of him next year too, dont worry. Marc Sneyd played more games at full-back than half-back for us last season to, with his best position still not understood. Whilst he has potential he isnt "top 6 quality" yet and a season on loan at Castleford will do him the world of good.

I like how you use Warrington's Richie Myler and sustaning growth as examples, despite them signing both our highly rated top youngsters (Myler and Ratchford) in big money deals.

Your knowledge on Marwan Koukash and Salford Red Devils is obviously limited, otherwise you'd be aware of the plans in place to develop and build the best training facilities for youngsters within the game. Koukash has stated several times he doesnt only want to attract and sign the best players, he also wants to develop them too.

A) the example works equally well with Chelsea. Now Chelsea have gone away, struggled for success over the last couple of years, after initially bursting onto the scene with oil money, and are now starting to develop (albeit still bought in) their own talent like de bruyne and van ginkel. Maybe it was unfair to use city, I was merely doing so for the sake of contrast.

B) never. Doesn't mean I can't form an opinion on him. I never met hitler but I'm sure I don't like him.

C) your making my argument for me? By saying noble is head of recruitment making all these "none star signings" is my point. Noble is Doug a good job at building a relatively strong team for next year, but how much is going to be wiped out if koukash decides he wants Shaun Johnson? (For example) the buck would stop with koukash, he would get his headline, and noble would have to get on with it, and my point is I don't think koukash has any regards for a squad. If he signed some of the players he has mentioned in the last few months you would in a squad of 25 have : smith, chase, Fages Sneyd, Johnson, Eastmond - all as halfbacks - that's not squad building that's just signing people because he can.
Notice: I didn't say noble would make these signings.

D) halfbacks support is generally the forwards protecting them, but even if that's the case, I could empathise and understand the signing of another, older more experienced halfback to guide the two of them around for a couple of years. Signing both limits opportunity, and buries them as opposed to drowning them. And there are lots of examples of 18-20 year olds proving they're ready to step up.

E) Myler may of been a bad example, given the Salford connection, but my point was, in 2010, when Myler signed, Warrington could of gone after virtually anyone with the money they were offering, they chose a young player, who could be supported by the team around him, and helped by the likes of briers to improve his game, and they should see the dividends of that in the coming years.

F) I know koukash has also spent a lot of time talking about improving facilities etc he's not a complete imbecile and knows sport requires such things, but even that needs to be turned into a self promotion event. You have players who have potential to develop already in the team yet are choosing to ignore them because they're not koukash products. Developing players requires game time as well as facilities.

I know my opinion of koukash is not a popular one, but it's my opinion. Doing things like announcing "were gonna sign a player whose name begins with h and plays for a team that starts with w" makes him sound no better then "insiders" on here desperately clawing for attention.

I do think you have to take these signings with a pinch of media salt.

The Good Dr. may very well know that he can't sign these 2, but saying he wants to gets him exactly what he does want, which is media and air time to sell more season tickets.

I have no idea what the good Dr is like as a person, but he has enough nonce in his head to know how to work the media.

In a way I have more respect for the guy if he is using it as a ploy for coverage and interest.

He has spent no more than a decent hotel bill to get in the same room as some of the biggest names in RL. It's cost a few hundred for what would be £1000's of media coverage if he were to buy it.

As Salford grow (hopefully) then this kind of stunt will be needed less and less. I think the outside concern is that if he was being serious and signed all the players Salford have been linked with in the last 12 months. Salford would be left in the same position he found them with debts mounting up to the skies.

Probably most of the people covering this story are not aware of the SL salary cap and that SBW and Billy Slater alone would take nearly the full cap of a club in SL.

In football there is only United, Arsenal and possibly still Liverpool that are true sustainable businesses, City, Chelsea and probably most of the rest are essentially charities, it is that change from charity to true busines that is the difficult bit

The simple fact is that Dr Koukash will clearly never know a fraction of what it takes to run a successful club as the majority of posters to these forums do. The sooner he learns this & scuttles away from our cash-rich sport the better.

The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about...

I'm loving the ride and I don't wanna get off !!!!!!

You are aware that they have won the Champions League and Uefa Cup over the last two years aren't you?

Here is their recent record
2005 1st in League, League Cup winner
2006 1st in League
2007 2nd in League, FA Cup winner, League Cup winner
2008 2nd in League
2009 3rd in League, FA Cup winner
2010 1st in League, FA Cup winner
2011 2nd in league
2012 6th in league, FA Cup winner, Champions League winner
2013 3rd in league, UEFA Cup winner

Not too shabby eh? Hardly a crisis if they have been winners or top 3 for nearly a decade.

And they have spent shed-loads of money on buying superstars whilst farming out their young players (30 loaned out this season) with the likes of Josh McEachrin and Romelu Lukaku unable to get a shot at the first team (despite both clearly being good enough) whereas they throw ridiculous amounts of money at a superstar in his final years of playing the game to lead their line up front. Incidentally McEachrin is the only English player who would merit first team status as all their star reserves are foreign players.

You should not use footy teams for your argument unless you are sure they merit the comparison.

Was just about to flag up the fact that Chelsea [istruggled[/i their way to the European Cup 18 months ago. Must have been horrendous for the fans. Hope Salford never endure such [istruggle[/i under Koukash after all the trophy laden years we've enjoyed recently.

I think Koukash has been a complete breath of fresh air and exactly what the game needs. I can't stand this warped general consensus in the game that you should come in, stick to the status quo ante and hope that in ten years you have developed a few decent home grown players.

In any other industry if someone comes in to save a failing business you expect them to make sweeping changes and fast. Yet in RL we still have this WMC attitude and simply for showing ambition and passion Koukash has received criticism from all angles. He may come out with the odd mad line but at the end of the day he is evidently an intelligent man, he knows how to get his name in the papers, very important when you have two of the biggest clubs in world soccer on your door step.

Personally I am excited to see how Salford get on this year, it has been a while since I have said that about any club.