Michael Dobson has insisted the Salford squad put any off-field turbulence to the back of their minds on Sunday as they look to continue their solid start to the season with a visit to Hull Kingston Rovers, the side with whom he enjoyed the best years of his career to date.
Although table-topping Widnes are grabbing the majority of the early-season Super League headlines, Salford are handily placed inside the top eight, with three wins from six as they prepare for the visit to the bottom side. But with a potential points deduction for alleged salary cap breaches facing the club – a tribunal next month will determine whether Salford are guilty of the offences – there is a cloud over the Red Devils’ bright start on the field.
Dobson, who has formed an impressive half-back pairing with Robert Lui in the opening six weeks of the season, says it is the players’ responsibility not to worry about that, though, and that they should focus only on the things they can control.
“We’ve got to put it to the back of our minds,” Dobson said. “If I’m being completely honest it hasn’t even been mentioned amongst the playing group. It’s up to the non-playing staff and the hierarchy to deal with that sort of stuff. We’re the ones who’ve got to keep our heads down and keep playing how we have done so far in these first six weeks. All that stuff will take care of itself, I’m sure.”
Dobson’s thoughts were echoed by the Salford coach, Ian Watson, who stressed that the club’s owner, Marwan Koukash, and the director of rugby, Tim Sheens, will handle the matter. “We’ve tried to ignore it and worry about what we can control,” Watson said.
“The rest we’ll leave to Marwan and Tim to deal with it when it comes up. Marwan was really good, he explained it to the boys. The guys are generally ignoring it and, seeing what we’re doing on the pitch is working, our focus is on that.”
Dobson spent six seasons at Hull KR between 2008 and 2013 and, despite the Robins failing to win a game yet this season, the 29-year-old knows from experience that they are not to be underestimated. “I know they haven’t won this year but I know from being there myself that you can’t ever write Hull KR off,” he said. “We know we’ll have a fight on our hands and it’ll be a tough day for us, that’s for sure.
“I was in the best form of my career at KR; I was there a long time and I played some really good stuff during my time there. It’s always somewhere I look forward to going back to. I went back there last year but we got absolutely hammered so it’ll be nice to go back and set the record straight.”
With Lui ruled out for a month with a knee injury, Gareth O’Brien is expected to partner Dobson at half-back.
