It's not often I can turn the car radio on and hear them talking rugby league. Less so at drive time on a station that isn't Talksport. And that is Dr Marwan Koukash's great strength. His press conference on Tuesday was the latest in a long line of outbursts to make headlines beyond rugby league circles. He single-handedly gets the sport in the newspapers and for that we as a sport should be grateful. But should Salford fans?
Dr Koukash flew into town and saved a dying club. But that does not mean the Salford faithful have to accept everything he says and does. And he has a lot to say. News coming out of Salford seems to be a stream of negativity. Whether it's the usual soft target of the RFL, players departed or even their own supporters there's always someone in the firing line.
Tim Sheens' appointment is a big coup for Salford. That should have been the story on Tuesday. Fanfare ought to greet the recruitment of a World Cup winning coach but it was lost in the noise of accusations and threats. Whether it is a good appointment or not remains to be seen (penny for Iestyn Harris' thoughts) but as a news piece it should have been standalone and something to shout about.
What did Dr Koukash and Salford really gain from making accusations, counter-accusations and threats against the Council and Kevin Locke? The intention was some sort of rallying call to supporters but I think it was ill-advised and badly timed. The reaction from fans has been one of unease, not the 'us against the world' mentality Dr Koukash must have had in mind.
Negativity breeds negativity and I think in Salford we have a club with an image problem. They're desperate to increase attendances to help meet the huge rent costs of the AJ Bell Stadium. In March Dr Koukash announced the club could lose up to £20,000 a game if crowds didn't grow. Clearly attendances have been a major worry at the club culminating their official Twitter account calling out the fans after a poor turnout against Huddersfield in May. The backlash from fans couldn't have been clearer. 'How to alienate the fans', 'embarrassing', 'pathetic and small time' just three responses that summed up the mood. You can't expect thousands who wouldn't otherwise have gone to a game to turn up because you're telling the world you can't afford them not to.
Putting aside issues with the ground itself, the location and access being the main bugbears, there is one thing that guarantees better crowds and that's a successful team. To that end Dr Koukash has done his best. He's funded some big names and pushed for the marquee player rule to come in so he can bring in a real crowd-puller. But it will take time to build a team that can challenge. This isn't football where relatively quickly you can assemble a title-winning side provided you have deep enough pockets. In the meantime you have to build a unity, the sense of a club all pulling in one direction. That is where Salford are completely failing.
Look at Leigh and the journey they are on is clear. The stories coming out of the club are relentlessly positive. They're attracting Super League players and have the momentum of a town behind them. The club is everywhere in Leigh. Of course it's easier to get everyone onside when you're a full-time side in a league of part timers and win comfortably most weeks. Salford don't have that luxury so what are they to do?
I think the time has come to shut up shop and focus on getting things right on the field. They can learn some lessons from across Manchester. When Manchester City won the lottery the club was the focus of lots of negative attention. When it started to get to those entrusted with running things they stopped talking. Motormouths like Sulaiman Al-Fahim and Garry Cook were given the boot. They even hired a manager whose press conferences are so outstandingly dull reporters have been seen drifting off at the back. Salford could benefit from a similar approach because the noises coming from the club are so overwhelmingly negative they can only be damaging.
Players and coaches can claim they don't let outside influences affect them but I don't believe that for a second. The negativity and image coming out of the club impacts directly on the team when it deters potential signings or makes current players think twice about signing a new contract. And it impacts indirectly when it affects the number of people watching games and the mood they are in when they get to their seat.
A strong Salford side would be good for rugby league but they need to reassess their approach as a club if they are to realise the owner's dream. They have much to be positive about, not that you'd know it if you read the newspapers.
