Next up in our ‘Best of’ series is Brad Singleton, who enjoyed his first full season with the Reds in 2025.
A player with endless amounts of experience at the top level, Singo has emerged as a pivotal figure in the dressing room and a voice that is very well respected.
There’s no doubt his six major trophies – including two Betfred Super League titles – across a decade with Leeds Rhinos and Wigan Warriors have played a huge part in that.
He was a trusted member of Paul Rowley’s starting thirteen, making 22 appearances across the season – including the 300th of his career against Leigh Leopards in the Playoff Eliminator.
Singleton isn’t just a powerful runner; his rugby intelligence makes him a threat around the line and his offload in Round 2, sending Amir Bourouh scurrying under the sticks, is a perfect example of just that.
His season got off to a fantastic start, so it was a shame he picked up a knee injury in Round 4 that kept him out of action for a short while.
Looking to extend our winning run to three, Singleton made his return in our Round 10 trip to Huddersfield Giants.
Nene Macdonald stole the show, but the prop’s return was arguably just as important, setting the platform for our outside backs to cause the damage.
Speaking post-match, Singleton said he was pleased to be back amongst the team and was looking forward to what they could achieve after a solid first ten games.
Back to full fitness, the 32-year-old was an ever-present in the pack and part of a team who were beginning to establish themselves within the top six.
His superb bust up the middle against London Broncos pierced a gap for Marc Sneyd and Shane Wright to combine – the latter crossing for his first of the season.
Our flawless June including doing the double over Warrington Wolves and St Helens, two games Singleton made a huge impact against some physical opposition.
One of his best performances came against Castleford Tigers in Round 19. After suffering back-to-back defeats, the Reds knew only two points would suffice at the Salford Community Stadium.
An in-form Tigers side certainly gave Salford a scare, but a 30-22 victory got the team back on the winning path and Singleton’s 127 metres across 50 minutes certainly contributed to that.
But perhaps his crowning moment came in Round 26 at the MKM Stadium.
Supporters may remember Singo’s mesmerising cut-out ball in a golden point thriller towards the back end of 2023, but he finally got himself on the scoresheet in our rout of Hull FC.
Combining with Joe Mellor, the prop crashed over just to the right of the sticks, but it was just one aspect of his outstanding display, making 175 metres and 14 tackles across his 55 minutes on the field.
It was a game that confirmed playoff rugby and allowed Singo to reach a significant personal landmark – 300 career appearances.
We sat down to reflect on his journey before the game.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite the occasion he may have hoped, with Leigh Leopards taking the victory in a tight contest.
But on reflection, Singleton’s post-game message was perhaps the perfect way of summarising the season.
He wrote on Instagram: “2024 didn’t go the way we wanted, but that’s the raw truth of sport. Every single one of the boys, the staff, and the entire team gave it everything. We left it all out there.
“Thank you for all your support this season – it’s meant the world. We’ll be back stronger.”
It’s these types of leadership qualities that make Singleton essential to our dressing room and will no doubt be a big voice yet again as we head into 2025.
SINGLETON’S 2024 IN NUMBERS
Appearances: 22
Tries: 1
Try Assists: 2
Tackles: 488
Tackle breaks: 34
Tackle percentage: 87.9%
Offloads: 23
Metres made: 1732
SINGLETON ON HIS 300TH AND THE SALFORD SQUAD
“I’m one of them players that takes each game as it is, but when you look back over the years I made my debut in 2011 – so it’s a long time now and 300 is a pretty big number.
“The sky is the limit for this group. It’s a very special group steered by great people and the fans get behind them. I know there are not as many as some clubs I’ve been at, but they’re well and truly behind us – and you can feel that.
“It’s a great place and I’m really enjoying my time here!”
