Salford signal intent with offer for Canterbury Bulldogs' Andrew Ryan

Salford have signalled their intent to compete more strongly in the Super League next season by making an offer to Andrew Ryan, the Canterbury Bulldogs second-row who has won 11 Test caps and remains one of the most respected forwards in Australia. The City Reds have failed to make much of an impact since being awarded a Super League licence last year, mainly because of financial limitations as their plans to move to a new stadium have suffered a number of frustrating delays. But now that work has finally begun on the stadium, the long-serving Salford chairman, John Wilkinson, is keen to strengthen the squad for 2011 to ensure a fitting final season at The Willows, and to allow them to hit the ground running assuming they are granted another Super League licence from 2012. The club have already sprung a major surprise by persuading Daniel Holdsworth, the Australian stand-off whose outstanding performances this season had alerted several of Salford's rivals, to sign a new three-year contract. Now they hope that Holdsworth's friendship with Ryan, a former Canterbury team-mate, will help them to secure an equally significant signing. "We have made him an offer but it's a bit difficult with the exchange rate at the moment, so we've got to see how we go," said Salford's football manager, Steve Simms. "I don't think anybody thought that Daniel was going to stay with us but he did, because he's a loyal person and he thinks something exciting can happen at the club in the next couple of years. With the new stadium on the way, we want to leave The Willows with a bit of a bang." Ryan's current Canterbury team-mate Luke Patten is expected to join Huddersfield as a replacement full-back for Brett Hodgson, the club captain and reigning Super League Man of Steel who has already signed a two-year contract with Warrington.