Unlikely Super League Dream Team star reveals secret behind stunning form

Ex-England ace Sneyd, who turns 34 in February, has piloted the Red Devils to the knockout stages against the odds. The sale of former Man of Steel Brodie Croft and England hooker Andy Ackers to Leeds left many thinking they didn’t have a hope.

But big-spending Rhinos and last season’s beaten Grand Finalists Catalans, instead, missed out on the top-six and Paul Rowley’s underdogs powered onto fourth place. Sneyd, who helped Hull win back-to-back Challenge Cups in 2016 and 2017, feels he’s in better form than ever. He said: “I couldn’t tell you why or how.

“But I’ve a lot of trust with the coaches, medical and conditioning staff at Salford. They allow you to get yourself ready. The older you get, the more you understand your body – more so than people with their degrees and stuff! I’ve a good group at Salford who allow that to be a thing and it lets me concentrate on being right to prepare for every game.

“Truthfully, I’d not even thought about it [Dream Team] until last week. I’d forgotten it happened and then the talk started going around. People know what I’m like: if it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. But it took me 15 years to get in so I’m obviously happy.”

However, despite twice winning the Lance Todd Trophy, master tactician Sneyd has always been more about team goals than individual honours. And he wants to see Salford shake things up further by marching all the way to the Theatre of Dreams. Sneyd, a huge Manchester United fan, said: “It’s the only one I’ve not done, even play there let alone win.

“I won’t jinx it but we’ll see. It’d be nice. I’ve got to a few semi-finals [three with Hull] but I’m trying to forget those…
“Leigh do the fundamentals of the game really well: they tackle hard, run hard and all the stuff you’re told is important when you’re ten years old.

“And watching Friday, their game against St Helens was arguably one of the best of the season. It had a big play-offs feel so they’ve already had a taste of it and they are a tough team. We can’t be turning up dipping our toes in. We’re expecting them to come firing. We’ll take it to them.”