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The Rhinos have been in negotiations with Salford.

Leeds Rhinos have held talks with Salford Red Devils regarding a deal for Kallum Watkins, All Out Rugby League understands. The Reds captain was not named in the squad to face Wigan Warriors and is one of the two players who refused to play, as per All Out Rugby League's report yesterday.

Following Watkins' stance, Salford reached out to multiple Super League clubs on Saturday to see if there was any interest in Watkins and it is believed the Rhinos have informed Salford that they would like to bring their former player back to Headingley.

As it stands, no agreement has been reached between the two clubs as Salford explore all of their options, but it is understood that Watkins' preference is to return to the club where he won six Grand Finals and two Challenge Cups.

It has been almost six years since Watkins last wore blue and amber. Named captain of the club in 2018, he left in the summer of 2019 to test himself in the NRL with Gold Coast Titans. After a year down under he signed for Toronto Wolfpack but their demise saw him then join Salford, where he has been ever since.

He has made 95 appearances for the Reds, scoring 28 tries, but his future at the club now seems unclear after taking a stand against the recent issues at the club, which has seen players not paid on time for two consecutive months.

The Rhinos have salary cap space after receiving salary cap dispensation for Maika Sivo, the winger who is set to miss the entire season due to an ACL injury. The Rhinos never signed a replacement for Rhyse Martin after he left the club to join Hull KR though the return of Morgan Gannon from injury has seen them well-stocked in the back-row alongside James McDonnell and James Bentley.

Harry Newman and Ash Handley have been playing in the centres, the position where Watkins largely played during his first stint at Leeds. He made his debut for the club in 2008 and went on to be a key part of their Golden Generation team, making 259 appearances and scoring 132 tries.

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Vultures!

The other player who refused to play was Chris Atkin!

I bet they will want to play next week in Challenge Cup at Catalan

Salford Red Devils wage bill set to rise as player withdrawal to cost club £72,000

The Red Devils have seen their wage bill go up after having to turn to young players following the withdrawal of two senior men

Salford Red Devils have added an extra £72,000 to their wage bill following the Super League Round Six clash with Wigan Warriors. Head coach Paul Rowley was forced to name a mixed side, while Kallum Watkins and Chris Atkin pulled out late.

Rugby Football League operational rules state that once a player has made two Super League appearances, they must be placed on a minimum salary of £18,000 per year.

Nathan Connell, Josh Wagstaffe, Finlay Yates and Jimmy Shields all featured in the record 82-0 hammering to St Helens, and again featured in the 54-0 defeat at the Brick Community Stadium.

Players had to be under-21 to not count on the current cap, with Salford remaining under special measures, but are now entitled to the Super League salaries, adding extra financial pressure on Salford amid their ongoing off-field crisis.

The club has eased some financial pressures following the sales of Marc Sneyd and Brad Singleton, alongside the departure of Tim Lafai, who has returned to Australia on compassionate grounds.

Meanwhile, All Out Rugby League understands that Leeds Rhinos have held talks with Salford regarding a deal for Watkins. The England international was one of two players who refused to play against Wigan, alongside playmaker Chris Atkin, with the pair not participating in the captain’s run.

It saw Salford make two late changes, with Chris Hill named to start in the front-row, and outside-back Scott Egan, who came on late from the interchange bench.

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Funny how all these has beens that no one wanted but Rowley are all buggering off and leaving Salford in the lurch yes it’s a terrible situation but cmon a little loyalty?

Problem is, loyalty doesn’t pay the mortgage, and in some cases players have been burned before with Toronto. So if they get the sniff of a deal elsewhere they’ll take it.

Also the last thing they want is to pick up a long term injury at a club in danger of folding, as getting a contract at another club whilst injured can be difficult, ultimately these aren’t footballers who can retire at 35, they need second careers.

So sometimes self preservation is key.

Leeds Rhinos' Kallum Watkins hopes hit snag after surprising development

Watkins didn't play for Salford on Sunday though there have been important movements in the days since.

Leeds Rhinos' hopes of securing a deal for Kallum Watkins appear to have gone cold following an unusual sequence of events.

All Out Rugby League revealed on Sunday that Salford Red Devils had approached the Rhinos over the weekend after it emerged that Watkins had informed his current club that he would not play for them in Sunday's game against Wigan Warriors.

The Rhinos have held an interest in bringing Watkins back to Headingley during the ongoing issues at Salford and were keen to move once they received a call on Saturday asking if they would be interested in doing a deal.

But since then, the Rhinos have seen an offer knocked back by the Reds and in an even more interesting development, Watkins reported to Salford for training on Monday. He participated in the session with his teammates.

For now, Watkins' future remains unclear and it has been suggested that there are other clubs who would like to sign the England international, though sources at Wakefield Trinity have ruled themselves out of the running at this stage.

His return to training, coupled with Salford's decision to reject an offer, does raise more questions than it does provide answers after a chaotic few days in Watkins' career.

It's plausible that they may be waiting for a better offer from elsewhere or that the player wants to remain at the club, something Salford are unlikely to be against given his importance to the club. Salford are still in a position where they have fit players they can't use as they don't fit under the sustainability cap, and the only way to make them available for selection is by letting other players depart. However, Watkins would undeniably be one they would want to keep.

Salford Red Devils pursue second St Helens player
For now, Leeds are thought to be relaxed on the matter. They already have three back-rowers in James Bentley, James McDonnell and Morgan Gannon, all of whom are playing well for Brad Arthur's side at present.

What that means for Watkins' status this weekend remains unclear. He is one of the players part of Salford's £1.2million squad, meaning he could be available for selection when the Reds play Catalans Dragons in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals this weekend.

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