Jack Ormondroyd says free-flowing Salford are winning fans - and helping his ex-footballer dad find a new favourite sport.
The storming prop, 31, hopes to power the Red Devils to another Super League victory against Huddersfield on Sunday. They are fast becoming many peoples’ ‘second’ favourite club due to their eye-catching attacking style. Ex-Bradford, Aston Villa, Derby and Leicester striker Ian Ormondroyd, 57, is clearly on board.
Jack said: “Dad never played rugby league. He’s miles too skinny for that! But he’s always there watching. At first, I don’t think he was sure about me playing it rather than football. But he loves it now. He comes to all the games. And he’s said to me a few times that he now even prefers watching rugby league on TV to football as it’s more engrossing. I think I’ve converted him.
"It's good the way we play and I think particularly the way we played last year opened some peoples' eyes. Sky have put us on three times this year already and I don't think we were on that many times all last season! It's nice to get a bit of recognition."
Salford are looking for a third win in four games but Huddersfield - led by ex-Red Devils boss Ian Watson - are out to avenge last season’s embarrassing 28-0 play-off loss. They have Tui Lolohea and Jermaine McGillvary returning and former Leeds forward Ormondroyd said: “It will be a tough game. They play a different style to us. It’s two contrasting styles. They’ve not started brilliantly but they’ve played some top teams in Wigan and St Helens in the last two weeks and run them both close."
Ormondroyd started out in the Championship with Featherstone Rovers before getting his big chance at Rhinos. But he struggled to gain a regular slot at Headingley and left in 2018, heading back to Featherstone before gaining his second shot at Super League with Salford two years later. Ormondroyd admitted there was times when he thought he'd never make it.
He said: "Yes, massively so. When I was at Leeds I was sort of ready to sack it in. I'd do a full pre-season, then it came to the games and I'd miss three or four weeks, then go out on loan and come back again. When I was back at Featherstone we had kids and I was working during the day at Bradford City where my dad works in the community side of it. I wasn't really seeing the kids as I was training on a night so I did think about packing it in. But the Salford chance came and it couldn't have gone any better. I'm so glad I took it."
And because of his unusual career path, Ormondroyd believes there's plenty more to come from him. He added: "I was a bit of a late starter. I didn't start playing until I was 16 or 17. It's probably helped in a way not playing as much rugby as it has kept me fresh. I'm 31 now which is getting on for most rugby league players but I feel quite fresh. I had quite a good year last year. The coaches at Salford have really helped me as well and hopefully I can kick on again."
Meanwhile, unbeaten Super League leaders Warrington made it seven wins from seven when thrashing Hull 34-6 today - their opponents suffering a fifth straight loss - and Catalans edged past Castleford 22-18 in Perpignan.
