Joe Burgess scores four tries as Hull KR’s demolition Salford raises big questions

In the week when Super League agreed the decision to expand to 14 teams in 2026, this was certainly not the kind of advert to suggest that the competition is ready to grow.

Top v bottom in any competition can easily result in a one-sided outcome, and the fact Salford are still stuck in a financial crisis and were without several senior players meant something like this was always going to be possible.

The reality is that this fixture may not be seen again for some time, though. While Super League is expanding next year, there is a growing expectation that Salford may fail to make the cut. Having been ranked 12th last year in the IMG gradings, it is expected the Red Devils’ financial problems will result in a drop in their score.

With only the top 12 guaranteed a place in Super League in 2026 and the other two sides to be handpicked by an independent panel, the financial crisis which has engulfed this club this season means they are unlikely to get the nod. We could quite conceivably be witnessing the final weeks of Salford as a Super League club.

Having had to receive an advance in their central distribution on the eve of the season, Salford are still waiting for a crucial multimillion pound bridging loan that will ease their short- and medium-term concerns, having been taken over in February. That means that, two-thirds of the way into the season, their future feels increasingly uncertain.

It is not a great look for Salford, or for the competition. This had the distinct feel of a training session for the league leaders Hull KR, who recorded their biggest victory as a Super League club. After 10 minutes, they were 14-0 ahead and even then, you knew the result had been decided.

Hull KR’s Mikey Lewis was at his brilliant best against Salford on Thursday night. Photograph: Richard Sellers/PA

By half-time it was 34-6, with Salford’s only first-half try coming through Justin Sangaré. In contrast, Hull KR scored at will without getting anywhere near top gear. Mikey Lewis, the competition’s premier player, was at his effervescent best as he laid on multiple tries, including two for Joe Burgess.

Burgess would score two more in the six minutes after the restart. There was then a telling moment when Salford’s young full-back, Declan Murphy, offered a hand in appreciation to the outstanding Lewis as he celebrated another try. It felt like an acceptance that the gulf between these two sides is just too big.

Hull KR are a wonderful outfit in all areas – on and off the pitch. They are a relentless juggernaut and showed little mercy here against a club in deep strife. But what Salford do have is spirit among their playing group and on the terraces. If they are heading for the Championship, they do so with their heads held high.

Charlie Glover’s late try was scant consolation as by then Rovers had added more tries through the likes of Arthur Mourgue and Rhyse Martin. The hope for Super League officials will be that the teams who are promoted come into the competition without the kinds of problems that have stricken Salford all year.

At least two Super League coaches – St Helens’ Paul Wellens and Castleford’s Chris Chester – have said since news of expansion broke that they have concerns about whether the sport’s player pool is strong enough to sustain 14 elite teams. This will have done little to assuage those fears.