Tributes continue to pour in following the tragic death of Gabriel Holt, the Wigan ruby talent who passed away suddenly this week, aged just 21.
Born and raised in the town of Atherton, Gabriel Holt played for Wigan St Patricks RUFC and previously represented the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), being described as an “exceptional talent” and having “brightened up the room”.
The Greater Manchester local qualified for the Wales Students team through family heritage and won three caps for the squad in 2023, as well as being named in this year’s squad for the upcoming Four Nations tournament. The budding Wigan rugby star’s cause of death is yet to be confirmed.
People from all over the rugby league community have been paying their respects to the promising youngster, with the likes of his father and St Patricks leading the emotional tributes:
RIP Gabriel Holt
We're shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden death of current Wales Students international player, Gabriel Holt, aged just 21.
People from all over British rugby are honouring Gabriel Holt.
‘Gabe’s’ father Chris Holt wrote in a heartbreaking social media post following the outpouring of condolences online: “These comments. They bring a tear to my eye. Gabe was a bit of a journeyman, starting at Atherton Dragons when he was five years old…
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“After Dragons folded he did a stint at Leigh East & Folly Lane before finally finding his forever home at Pat’s. He was ever so proud to play for a club with such a reputation and team spirit – ‘kick one of us, kick all of us!’ – and every Monday was simply the start of the countdown to game day, thankfully then in warmer (ish!) conditions for us mardy parents.
“Even after leaving for UCLAN where he loved playing, the academic season allowed him to return to Pat’s and play when he could, in his last match scoring a try to level the scores against the difficult Leigh Miners before Pat’s prevailed by two points. He was champing at the bit to return once he got over his knee injury, especially after being chosen to represent Wales for the second year of asking…
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“Sadly it wasn’t to be. We are forever indebted to Wigan St Patricks who showed him what ‘team’ meant. Everyone has their role. Everyone has each other’s back. Everyone is included. No questions asked. The best game in the world. And he loved every second of it, dislocated limbs included.”
Multiple players and trainers from his past and present have waxed lyrical about his presence both on and off the pitch even at such a young age, with his head coach at Wales Students, Craig Fisher, writing: “No words will ever be able to articulate what an exceptional human being you were.
“You were a leader, a team-mate, a champion but most of all a friend to everyone you met. I feel privileged to have known you and to have coached you. I know how proud you were to wear the red of Wales and were itching to tear into the 2024 Four Nations.
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“As heart-wrenching as it will be that you won’t be with us in person to go to war with us, we will take comfort in knowing that our Angel Gabriel will be with us every step of the way. Godspeed, young man. Forever your coach.”
A fundraiser has now been set up by a family friend of the Holts, Dan Harris, which has already managed to raise over nearly £6,000 in donations to put towards Gabriel’s funeral costs, with Harris urging people to “dig deep” and “find that bit of spare cash, put in what you can afford and help to make this difficult time that little bit easier” for his loved ones.
As written in the description of the GoFundMe page, the Holts have described the rallying from the rugby community and those kind enough to contribute as “amazing”, insisting they have been “blown away by the love and respect shown for Gabriel.”
Harris himself said: “I’ve known the Holt family for over 11 years, me, Chris and [Gabe’s mum] Michelle became fast friends and I’ve seen the kids grow up and mature. [I] watched Gabriel go from an awkward little boy to a fit, healthy and strong man pursuing his dreams of playing rugby for top teams…
“To hear of his passing in such a sudden way is heart-wrenching. Words can’t describe the heartache we all feel, the pain and suffering that the family are going through.” He also went on to cite dad Chris’ always offering his help to the local community down the years, “be that fixing a washing machine, picking up your broken down car to fix or running you somewhere for an errand”, often without payment.
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He signed off by saying, “Well now’s our time so that the family doesn’t struggle.” You can donate to Gabriel Holt’s fundraiser HERE.
Featured Images — GoFundMe/Wigan St. Patricks ARLFC (via Facebook)
Sport
Eyebrows raised as key coach and director of the company set up to buy Salford Red Devils resigns
Danny Jones
Serious eyebrows and questions are being raised as the director of Jacobsen Venture Group (JVG), the company set up to buy local rugby league side Salford Red Devils, has now seemingly resigned from his position.
Krisnan Inu, who is also employed as an assistant coach at Salford Red Devils, appears to have stepped down from his role within the investment group this week, effectively immediately.
This latest development only spells more concern for supporters as yet more uncertainty circles around the Salford Community Stadium that is edging ever closer to the brink.
Reacting to the news on social media, fan organisation The 1873 is now looking for further clarity as to what this means for the future of the club.
Krisnan Inu resigns as director of Jacobsen Venture Group Ltd – the company set up to buy Salford Red Devils.
A major development that raises serious questions about the ownership group, the promised funding, and the people behind it.
Sharing a lengthy open letter of their own, as well as a screenshot of the former New Zealand and Samoan international’s official resignation papers via Companies House, the supporters group have now reiterated their “call for transparency.”
Aside from urging for assurances regarding “stability, and above all else, the safeguarding of Salford Red Devils’ future”, The 1873 have also stated their belief that this signals more key movements behind the scenes that the fan base has not yet been made privy to.
The statement goes on to read: “This is a significant development, given Inu’s longstanding relationship with, and evident support for, Saia Kailahi – Jacobsen Venture Group’s other, and now sole, director.
“Inu has not only been a public backer but, by his own choice, a private supporter of Kailahi’s efforts to assume control of the club. His departure, therefore, raises serious questions.”
It was only back in August that fans, who have already mobilised multiple times in protest of the increasingly shadowy and tight-lipped consortium, slammed the 38-year-old ex-pro for defending the owners and clearly aligning himself with Kailahi, investor Dario Berta and others pulling the strings.
Hundreds marched through the streets before the game against Wakefield Trinity
They go on to speculate: “Would Inu, who also serves as the club’s assistant coach, step away from his role within Jacobsen Venture Group if he retained any confidence that the long-promised bridging loan was about to land, or indeed would ever materialise?
“Or has he now concluded that his trust and support have been misplaced, and simply had enough?”
They also noted that JVG has now moved its registered office from central London to Miles Platting here in Greater Manchester, though this is not the same address as Salford Rouges Diablo Ltd itself.
Continuing, they write: “This has all the hallmarks of the involvement of Steven England [former director], whose name has been linked to previous entities and involvement.”
England joined ex-CEO Paul King in quitting Salford earlier this year; however, the latter ultimately returned to try and help with the ongoing financial crisis.
As they see it, “Inu’s resignation feels like a highly significant indicator of his dwindling confidence in the ownership and by extension, the likelihood of the current financial crisis being resolved under Kallah’s leadership.” Neither the club nor Inu has yet to address the resignation publicly.
Only time will tell if the crucial funds promised so long ago will ever arrive and, more importantly, what this latest development ultimately spells for Salford Red Devils’ fate.
Jamie Carragher delivers damning Ruben Amorim verdict as pressure piles on Man United boss
Danny Jones
Jamie Carragher has delivered a damning verdict on struggling manager Ruben Amorim, as he has declared that his time in Manchester “HAS to end” after more than 10 months at United.
The retired Liverpool and England player spoke on the situation at Man United and what the future holds for Amorim on Monday Night Football (MNF), joining Everton icon Duncan Ferguson on the punditry panel for Sky Sports.
While he is by no means the first to ponder how the Portuguese gaffer is still in post, his most recent comments are some of the strongest by a popular mainstream commentator thus far, and also further stick the boot in on what he thinks is a United administration that is rife with poor decision-making.
Both he and Ferguson were far from complimentary about the 40-year-old head coach, with Carragher going so far as to label his time at Old Trafford as “a disaster”, both for the club and, ultimately, his career moving forward.
"We are only waiting for the inevitable" 😶@Carra23 says Ruben Amorim's appointment as Manchester United manager has been a 'disaster' for both parties 😬 pic.twitter.com/WxZ9uJ0XxX
‘Carra’ goes on to state that he believes “we’re waiting for the inevitable” and it’s now simply a matter of whenINEOS decide to sack Amorim.
As you can see in the clip, the former defender says that he thinks there is almost an element of denial among the Man United administration at present, with the owners, CEO Omar Berrada and Director of Football Jason Wilcox having already backed him so heavily both publicly and in the transfer market, etc.
Despite the evaluations on MNF last night, Sky Sports reports that Amorim still has the backing of Sir Jim Ratcliffe; however, it arguably serves as even more evidence to Carragher’s point that the hierarchy perhaps just doesn’t want to concede what would be such a huge admission and/or defeat.
In fact, ex-Premier League striker Alan Shearer also shared a similar stance on the most recent episode of The Rest Is Football podcast, in which he said: “I genuinely believe that the owners or the people that are running the club at the minute have made that many errors in the last two years or 18 months since they’ve been there.
He went on to add that “it would look terrible to admit another error and sack him”, especially after so much faith, investment and carrying out so much restructuring around him as the focal point.
Unfortunately, even club legends like Wayne Rooney are starting to express their doubt as to whether Amorim is the right man for the United job, though he does shine more of a spotlight on the dressing room and believes that someone needs to – for lack of a better term – give the players a kick up the arse.
Rooney’s remarks have gone viral on social media, with many noting that you can ‘hear the pain’ in his voice when talking about his former home and how the institution has increasingly suffered in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson years.
For context, even with multiple unwanted records being broken under Erik ten Hag, Amorim has not only got his team off to the worst top-flight start since the 1992/93 campaign, but has just nine wins from a total of 33 league games in charge of the Red Devils.
Carra goes on to insist that not only does this have to end “as quickly as possible” for the sake of the club this season and moving forward, but if the one ‘next big thing’ and one-time potential Pep Guardiola successor is to keep his reputation intact. The question is, do you agree?
You can see Duncan Ferguson and Jamie Carragher’s full assessment of the current situation with Ruben Amorim and Manchester United as a whole down below.
Danny Jones -
10th April 2024 
