ANY Super League teams planning to rough up Salford in the forthcoming Super League campaign had better think twice.

For the City Reds have been learning judo and wrestling techniques in a bid to gain an advantage over their Super League rivals.

The idea behind the Reds’ revolutionary training sessions at Walkden Judo Club is to give the players the tools required to play quick play-the-balls and to stop the opposition from doing the same.

Phil Fitton, Salford’s Service Area co-ordinator and a founder member of Salford Judo Club, said: "The judo and wrestling techniques can be used when making tackles and when players are on the ground.

"After making a tackle they can help you gain the precious few seconds needed for your defence to get back on-side.

"Also, when you use the correct technique on your opponent in any contact sport you use less energy than when you’re just using brute force to tackle or wrestle someone to the ground.

"Over the course of an 80-minute game of rugby league that bit of energy you save from using the correct technique early on may prove to be the difference between making a game-saving tackle in the 79th minute or missing the tackle because of fatigue. So if we can add something different to what the team already does, and give them an edge over other Super League sides in the process, then we will be really happy.

"The sessions also act as a conditioning session as ground work is very tiring and it uses every muscle in the human body."

Reds skipper Malc Alker is certainly a fan of Salford’s unusual new training methods.

He said: "The judo and the wrestling is good fun and I can see it being very beneficial in our forthcoming return to Super League.

"Rugby league, like all sports, is progressing all of the time and if you have the chance to gain an edge over your rivals then you should always look to take it.

"And, if us Salford players have no joy in Super League over the next few years, we could always try our luck at the judo and wrestling events at the Olympics!"