The Salford Red Devils, a storied name in English rugby league, find themselves embroiled in one of the most turbulent chapters in their history as serious allegations of financial misconduct and mounting debts threaten the very foundation of the club. On September 10, 2025, reports surfaced that the club’s owners, Isiosaia Kailahi and Curtiz Brown, attempted to purchase the £14 million Salford Community Stadium using what have now been widely described as fraudulent bank documents.
The Red Devils, who share their home ground with Premiership Rugby’s Sale Sharks, have been mired in financial chaos since Kailahi and Brown took the reins in February 2025. The duo’s takeover was initially heralded as a lifeline for the struggling club, with a statement issued on February 7, 2025, quoting Swiss financier Dario Berta: “The new owners have cleared all club debt and will deliver significant investment for the club’s future growth. This is the start of a very bright future.” Yet, as the months unfolded, the reality proved far grimmer.
The club’s financial woes soon became public, with the Red Devils narrowly escaping collapse thanks to the rushed acquisition. However, the optimism was short-lived. By the spring, the club was facing winding-up orders from HMRC over unpaid taxes exceeding £600,000. The situation escalated further when, in May, Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett formally ended all negotiations with the consortium attempting to buy the stadium, citing deep concerns over the legitimacy of the financial documents provided.
According to reports in The Sun and other outlets, the owners allegedly tried to convince both the city council and the Rugby Football League (RFL) that they possessed the funds necessary to secure the stadium. The documents in question, purportedly issued by Dubai-based Emirates NBD bank, were quickly called into question. Transactions listed on the statement were dated months in the future—December 2-11, 2025—setting off immediate red flags among officials. When Emirates NBD was contacted for verification, the bank responded unequivocally: “The Bank is prohibited by federal UAE law from disclosing any information about customers. But, the Bank can confirm none of the documents enclosed with your email, which purport to originate from the Bank, are genuine.”
Despite the mounting evidence, Curtiz Brown has maintained the club’s innocence, telling The Sun: “Every document we have supplied has been true and accurate when provided, including any financial statement. If a statement you have been shown is false, we know nothing about this and have not been nor cannot be responsible for any document provided outside of our oversight.” This assertion, however, has done little to quell the outrage among fans and local officials.
The supporters’ group The 1873 issued a scathing statement, calling for an end to what they described as a distressing saga: “Their involvement in Salford Red Devils, and Rugby League as a whole, must end here. The club, the fans, the community deserve so much better than owners tainted by allegations of fraud and forgery. We trust the law will now take its course and treat this with the seriousness it deserves.” The group’s frustration was further compounded by the owners’ absence at a recent court hearing regarding the HMRC petition, which representatives described as showing “contempt and disregard.”
Behind the scenes, the club’s turmoil has only deepened. Key executives, including CEO Chris Irwin and COO Clare Butters, have departed, both pointing to mismanagement and chaos at the top. The exodus has not been limited to the boardroom: around 18 players, the kitman, and even the club’s mascot performer have walked away. Assistant coach Kurt Haggerty, who was set to lead the team next season, also left amid the confusion. Wage payments have been inconsistent, often sourced from WeDo Finance, and concerns over pension contributions have surfaced repeatedly.
In August, the owners released a statement—unsigned and lacking transparency—blaming the club’s predicament on “legacy debt linked to a historical arrangement between the previous owner and Salford City Council.” They also claimed that a crucial £1.8 million investment, anticipated by November 2024, had failed to materialize, disrupting financial planning. The statement promised that bridge funding would be fully available and settled by the end of August 2025, but as of September, no such resolution has been confirmed.
Salford’s on-field performance has mirrored the chaos off it. The Red Devils have managed only three wins in 25 Super League matches this season, conceding over 1,000 points—a record that has left fans reeling. Protests have become a regular sight, with supporters marching to the stadium and demonstrating during home fixtures, most recently against Catalans. The club even forfeited a Super League fixture against Wakefield, a move that many feared would be their last act in the top flight.
The broader rugby league community has watched the saga unfold with a mix of disbelief and concern. The Rugby Football League has faced tough questions about how the current owners were able to acquire the club in the first place. It emerged that a certified bank statement from Australia’s Commonwealth Bank, checked and signed by an independent accountant, was deemed sufficient to complete the takeover—despite the subsequent revelation that the wider aims of the new owners stalled after the production of the Emirates NBD statement. Salford City Council, for its part, never received the full consortium information it had requested, leaving many questions unanswered.
Complicating matters further, Isiosaia Kailahi—also known as Sire—was previously embroiled in a California court case involving a £500,000 payment dispute with Eventbrite. According to court documents, Kailahi lost the case but is currently appealing the decision. In response to media scrutiny, Brown once threatened to shut down the club, blaming a journalist for the resulting unemployment: “You made everyone at the club unemployed with your article. Sire is shutting the club down and will name you as the reason.”
As the 2025 Super League season draws to a close, the future of Salford Red Devils hangs precariously in the balance. The club is set to face Huddersfield Giants in the penultimate round before a final fixture against Wakefield Trinity. Meanwhile, the Super League is poised to expand from 12 to 14 teams in 2026, with the London Broncos among the favorites for promotion due to significant investment interest from NRL legend Darren Lockyer. Whether Salford will be part of that future remains uncertain, with court proceedings and financial investigations still ongoing.
For now, the Red Devils and their long-suffering supporters are left hoping for clarity and stability in the months ahead. The outcome of the HMRC hearing, scheduled for October 29, 2025, could prove decisive. One thing’s for sure: the eyes of the rugby league world are fixed firmly on Salford, waiting to see if the club can weather this latest, and perhaps greatest, storm.
