RYAN BRIERLEY believes Salford is the ideal place for Nene Macdonald.
The dynamic Papua New Guinea back is off to a flying start with the Red Devils, having played his twelfth game for them on Friday against one of his former teams, Leigh, which Paul Rowley’s men lost 40-12. Signed on a four-year contract to help replace prolific try-scorer Ken Sio, who has moved to Australia, ex-Leeds star Macdonald has blasted in for five tries from the centres this year.
Salford are the 29-year-old’s third English club after joining Leigh in 2022, when he scored 27 tries in 27 games and won the 1895 Cup as well as promotion to the Super League. He helped PNG reach the World Cup quarterfinals that year, having previously competed in the 2013 and 2017 tournaments. Macdonald won the Queensland Cup with Brisbane’s Norths Devils in 2021 and has previous NRL experience with the Sydney Roosters, Gold Coast Titans, St George Illawarra Dragons, North Queensland Cowboys, and Cronulla Sharks. Brierley, a Scotland back, has long admired his teammate, telling Salford’s YouTube channel: “I watched him play for Leigh a few years ago and I recognised what a talent he was.
“Then at Leeds, I saw how much of a talent he was then and how hard he is to handle.” Brierley remarked, “Regardless of the rugby, I believe we’ve added another great character to the group.” He’s really laid-back, and a bit of a rugby nerd. “You wouldn’t guess it, but he enjoys rugby and talks about different plays and methods to express himself, which is exactly what we want. “I believe he thrives in this setting. It’s a pretty easygoing setting where you can just focus on playing rugby and having fun.
“He’s certainly doing that and I think that’s evident in his performances.”
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