As we pass the midway point of our ‘Best Of’ series, it’s the turn of Shane Wright to go under the microscope for his consistent 2024 campaign.
Ever since his arrival, the Aussie has been a regular in Paul Rowley’s starting thirteen, often playing long, demanding minutes in the middle – rotating between prop and back-row.
It’s a valuable skill in such a small squad and there’s no surprise the versatile Wright appeared in all but two Salford games this season.
However, just taking to the field was a step in the right direction for the 28-year-old after a torrid 2023 campaign.
He suffered a broken ankle in a game against St Helens that ended his season and placed him on a long road to recovery.
That return ironically placed him at the same venue where he suffered the injury, completing a 40-minute stint during our pre-season friendly at the Totally Wicked Stadium.
We spoke to him after the game on the emotional toil of his injury, how it feels to be back and a look forward to his fresh start in 2024.
It was like he’d never been away during the season opener. Wright (29/29) was one of just three players to make 20+ tackles in Round 1 and maintain a 100% tackle efficiency rate.
Featuring in every Round until game week 11, he was a big contributor to our positive start to the season and his presence was certainly missed against Leigh Leopards in the week he was missing.
After making his name as a serial try-scorer at the beginning of 2023, Wright was back in on the act against the London Broncos in Round 13.
Breaking the line and sending Marc Sneyd in for what seemed a certain try, the halfback was ankle-tapped but managed to flick the ball back to the supporting Wright for a stroll in.
His next try involvement came in our home victory against St Helens, executing a smart, short-side play with Joe Mellor to send Deon Cross over in the left corner.
As we motored towards the run-in, Wright continued to play his role in some big wins over direct playoff rivals Leeds Rhinos and Catalans Dragons.
Ahead of that clash with Steve McNamara’s side, we caught up with the Aussie to discuss how competitive the Super League has become.
A week later, Wright was part of the team that secured our playoff spot against Hull FC.
The MKM Stadium has been a happy hunting ground for the Reds as of late, and even more so for Wright, who bagged his second of the season in a 4-58 rout of the Black & Whites.
After a rest in Round 27, he was part of our Playoff Eliminator side who unfortunately lost out against Leigh Leopards, despite his positive cameo in the middle.
With two more years on his Salford contract, you’ll be seeing Wright and his well-kept mullet regularly across 2025.
WRIGHT’S 2024 IN NUMBERS
Appearances: 26
Tries: 2
Try Assists: 1
Metres made: 2145
Tackles: 767
Tackle percentage: 92.7%
WRIGHT ON RE-FINDING HIS LEVEL
“It was a long year and a long process coming back from that, it’s probably taken me a little longer than I thought, but I’m starting to feel me again.”
“I don’t mind it (playing back row). I’ve played predominantly back row my entire career so it wasn’t that hard of a transition, but it keeps me on my toes and it’s exciting too.”
