Monday 22 September 2014 15:53, UK
Salford owner Marwan Koukash says another NRL club has come into the frame as he looks to bolster his rugby league portfolio.
The wealthy businessman and racehorse owner had been deciding which of two NRL teams to acquire, however, a third is now a possible target for the one-time Palestinian refugee.
Koukash has spent heaviliy attempting to transform the fortunes of the struggling Salford Red Devils, whom he saved from financial ruin 20 months ago.
And, although frustrated with the club's failure to reach the playoffs this year and his own lack of progress in his bid to force radical changes to the way the game is run in this country, Koukash is keen to increase his involvement.
He has submitted plans to build a new stadium for neighbouring Championship club Swinton and is planning to fly out to Australia next month to finalise a deal for an NRL club which he aims to twin with Salford.
"I'm looking at three clubs," said Koukash. "There were two but in the last week or so another opportunity has arisen.
"There are a lot of opportunities for me to get involved with a number of NRL clubs and the amount of investment that is needed is minute compared to what I'm putting in at Salford."
Newcastle Knights are thought to be one of the clubs interesting Koukash, who has already held talks with NRL chief executive Dave Smith and insists there would be benefits for the Red Devils.
"It has to be the right deal for me personally and for the club over there and it has to have the kind of partnership I would like between the NRL and Salford," he continued.
"There will be sharing of players and coaching ideas and it will make my recruitment in the future a lot easier for Salford. For example, one thing I could offer a player considering coming to Salford is a one year's development in the NRL and there might be players there who could benefit from coming over here."
Koukash says he and his wife Mandy, who failed in a bid to buy Bradford earlier this year, are keen to spend more time in Australia.
It has to be the right deal for me personally and for the club over there and it has to have the kind of partnership I would like between the NRL and Salford.
Meanwhile, Koukash believes there is room for optimism under Red Devils head coach Iestyn Harris in 2015 and is hoping for increased support after revealing the full cost of a disappointing 2014 season.
"Finishing out of the top eight is not where we wanted to be but our form in the second half of the season was encouraging," he said. "We won six of our last nine games and that is the kind of form that should put you in the top eight next year.
"The majority of the players that played the last game will be retained and we will have Michael Dobson, Ben Jones-Bishop and Weller Hauraki as well as one or two fringe players to come in.
"Hopefully, with a real strong pre-season training, the boys will be competitive enough to get into the top eight, which is the minimum requirement.”
