Rugby League: Salford Sign Mcrae to Stage Survival Battle

Salford City Reds, Super League's bottom club, have hired the former St Helens and Hull FC coach Shaun McRae to resuscitate the club's season. The 48-year-old Australian has signed a four-and-a-half-year contract at The Willows and succeeds the sacked Karl Harrison.

McRae's appointment was widely expected and announced by the club today. He has 11 games in which to save the club from relegation and his task begins on Friday when Salford play host to Harlequins.

The Salford chairman John Wilkinson said: "We felt we had to make a signing of a person with vast experience and an enviable track record and I am positive everybody will get behind him and we can complete the season on a high note." McRae's contract means he will remain at the club, who are three points adrift of Hull KR at the foot of the table, if they are relegated from Super League this season. "It was probably me that pushed for the longer term," he said. "I don't think six months would have suited either party. There are two parts to this: there is the immediate situation and there is the future of the club.

"I was very impressed with what I heard with regards to the future. When the new stadium is built and the team is playing there it will be a major boost for the club, but I understand there is a massive job before that. With 11 games remaining we will have to win the majority of them to go past somebody. I don't think we can place a game percentage on that but clearly it needs to improve - nine points out of 16 indicates there has to be some improvement. We have to continue to work hard and utilise the talent at this club, and clearly there is a lot of talent. That was proved when they reached the play-offs last year."

McRae coached throughout the first nine seasons of Super League, winning the title with St Helens and then moving on to Gateshead and Hull FC. He left Hull FC at the end of the 2004 campaign to take over at South Sydney but his tenure with the NRL club ended last year when was promoted to director of rugby.

He quit Souths over the winter and has since taken a break from the game, although he applied unsuccessfully for the post as Great Britain coach earlier this year. McRae was made favourite for the Salford post immediately after Harrison's departure two weeks ago and was one of four applicants shortlisted by the club. McRae had been unaware of the vacancy when he arrived in Britain last month to undertake some television work but was soon invited for talks at The Willows.

Under the guidance of the assistant coach James Lowes, Salford have shown an improvement since Harrison left, beating Huddersfield and losing narrowly to St Helens. The club say the former Great Britain hooker will remain as McRae's No2.

Wilkinson added: "James was interviewed but we feel he needs more time. He is a very good young coach but I think working with Shaun will do him some good. He reacted very positively and is looking forward to working with Shaun."