Reds target new long-term coach

Wilkinson was has been the Reds chairman since 1982

Salford City Reds chairman John Wilkinson said the Super League club’s next head coach will not be a short-term appointment.

Former coach Shaun McRae left the club last month leaving assistant coach Phil Veivers in caretaker charge.

Wilkinson told BBC Radio Manchester: “I don’t think I’m looking for a short-term fix, that would be totally wrong.

“The appointment has got to be right with everything we’ve got in front of us and a ground move coming close.”

With assistant coach Malcolm Alker on sick leave and in dispute with the club, Salford are now without two full-time coaches.

Australian Veivers, 46, is currently in caretaker charge and recorded his first win in the 34-16 defeat of Harlequins.

“Phil Veivers has a lot of experience, is respected by the lads and we’ll give him all the back up and assistance we can give him and Phil might be a contender,” Wilkinson said.

“Agents are ringing me up daily and I’m getting emails about this person and that person and you’d expect that.

“We will get a lot of names put forward and we’re really looking at this now in depth and detail, because as I said the next appointment has got to be right.”

The Reds are in the last term at their current ground, The Willows, before moving to a new stadium in Barton and Wilkinson was hoping for the transitional season to be less fraught.

“Obviously we wanted the best season possible in our last season at the Willows,” he added.

“We signed some excellent players, we beefed our coaching staff up obviously to take us in that direction when we go to Barton in 2012.

“I don’t think anybody could have written the events that transpired.”