Every team is built around a good leader, and Kallum Watkins is certainly one of the best.
He continues to set the standards week after week, game after game, both on and off the field. I think it’s fair to say he is the most respected voice in the dressing room and his highly-decorated career speaks for itself.
Watkins is a local lad, representing Folly Lane ARLFC and Langworthy Reds in his youth alongside some ballboy duties at the Willows.
He is Salford through and through, so having the opportunity to captain the club he grew up supporting is an honour he never takes lightly.
Pre-season for the Reds saw them head to Portugal on a one-week training camp, where foundations were laid for a successful season on the pitch.
Catching up with the skipper after Day 1, he stressed the importance of what warm-weather training can bring to the team as we headed towards the season’s launch.
That opener saw Watkins return to a place where he became a six-time Betfred Super League winner – Leeds Rhinos.
Despite the defeat, the Reds were soon picking up points with some big performances against Castleford Tigers, Hull KR and that famous night at St Helens.
His first try involvement came away at London Broncos, where some neat work by Ryan Brierley allowed the skipper to open his account for the campaign.
He repaid the favour to Brierley a few weeks later against Leigh Leopards – albeit in defeat – with a lovely short pass to send his fullback over.
Watkins’ involvement in some stunning team tries often came in the first phase of play. Take Ethan Ryan’s effort against Huddersfield Giants for example, it was the England international who dug into the line and got the ball initially moving through the right edge.
The beauty of our Head Coach’s style of play is that the team is dangerous from any area of the field and keeping the ball alive means the opposition needs to stay switched on.
Warrington paid the price for that in Round 14 when Watkins pounced on a loose ball, pierced the line and offloaded to Ethan Ryan, who sent Marc Sneyd away for our third try of a scintillating first-half display.
That eventual victory was one of two Super League doubles the Reds completed in the space of a week.
The England international was just as influential against the Saints; scoring one and playing his part in a try which was voted the best of our 2024 season.
He stepped up for the team in what felt like a play-off deciding clash against Leeds Rhinos in early August, scoring two of similar ilk and producing a Player of the Match performance that earned rave reviews.
With Salford under pressure, Watkins crashed onto two short balls from Ollie Partington close to the line and narrowed what seemed like a significant first-half deficit.
Against the Giants in Round 23, Watkins brought up Super League appearance number 300 and celebrated in style with a 60-10 victory.
A final try for the England international came in our playoff-sealing win at the MKM Stadium, expertly finishing a classy Salford move in front of the travelling faithful
Watkins only missed one game in 2024 – enforced by our Head Coach to give him a rest in Round 27 – but there’s no doubt he will continue to be an important figure for this Club next season.
WATKINS’ 2024 IN NUMBERS
Appearances: 27
Tries: 5
Try Assists: 4
Line breaks: 6
Metres made: 2573
Tackle breaks: 46
Offloads: 29
Tackles: 892
Tackle percentage: 89.5%
ROWLEY ON WATKINS
“Since I’ve been at this club, I have never come across a player that’s had a bigger influence on a club than Kallum Watkins.
“It’d be interesting, I’d like to (hear) – probably people who have been involved with Salford a lot longer than me – the people that have had such an influence because I guess he’s the perfect role model of a captain, of a player, as a human being.
“His performance today (post-Leeds Rhinos R20) comes from the work he does in the week on himself, physically, as an older player and his preparation.
“He absolutely nailed everything he had to do and worked tirelessly. He does all them things, but he has a heart and spirit to match.
“We all feel the same at this club that we’re privileged to be able to work alongside Kallum.”
