League: Locke in legal stoush

Former Kiwis fullback Kevin Locke left Salford in acrimonious circumstances. Photo / Getty

Salford owner Marwan Koukash has passionately defended his club and begun legal proceedings against former Warriors fullback Kevin Locke following his decision to leave the Red Devils last week.

Locke's resignation has been accepted by Salford, but a claim he has made for £52,000 in unpaid wages was dismissed by Koukash, who is now seeking damages from the 26-year-old, after paying a transfer fee to the Warriors last year.

"The club have today responded to Kevin and have decided to accept his resignation with immediate effect but we hold Kevin fully responsible for the damages caused by his actions and the club will 100 per cent pursue Kevin for those damages," Koukash told Rugby League Week.

"We paid a substantial fee to the New Zealand Warriors for Kevin who was the highest-paid player in Super League but I don't think we got value for money."

Koukash also explained that Salford continue to pay the wages of former Kiwis forward Tony Puletua, who is on loan to Hull Kingston Rovers, but the club will commence legal proceedings against him following comments Puletua made in the media.

Locke, who played for the Kiwis in the 2013 World Cup final at Old Trafford, was viewed as a marquee signing by Salford when he joined almost a year ago on a three-and-a-half-year deal after leaving the Warriors and NRL.

But Locke endured a turbulent time at the club, playing in just 13 out of a possible 27 matches since making his debut last July at Huddersfield.

Injuries played a factor but Koukash made his feelings clear in recent weeks when he said he was prepared to listen to offers from rival clubs to buy Locke mid-season.

Locke even considered a switch of codes earlier this year when he held talks with the Scottish Rugby Union before the idea was abandoned when chief executive Mark Dodson withdrew from negotiations.

Reports out of Australia last week suggested he was recently shopped around various NRL clubs with the Canberra Raiders said to be keen on securing his services for 2016.

Koukash did have some brighter news to share with Salford fans, proudly announcing Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens' appointment as the club's director of rugby league.

"The club have agreed to appoint Tim Sheens as director of rugby," said Koukash. "I hope he will be with us in a week or so. I need Tim's help to ensure we recruit the right people to this club."