SALFORD Red Devils needed to put a decent score on the board against Featherstone Rovers, and win the next two games and hope for results in other matches to go their way to stand a chance of keeping Super League status for 2017.
With four players scoring two tries apiece, and a total of 13 tries for the home side, Salford made great headway in their bid.
Despite going behind in the very first minute to a Jordan Baldwinson try and a Kyle Briggs conversion, Salford went on to post 70 points in a game Ian Watson had described as a “must win” for the club.
On the field, Salford looked almost carefree as they passed the ball confidently, from one side of the pitch to the other as they ran in try after try. For those in the stands, it was great to see confidence flood back through the team.
Although a place in the ‘Million Pound Game’ is still the likeliest outcome from a season that promised so much, Watson had nothing but praise for his team and described it as a very professional performance.
“The last couple of weeks, we’ve beaten ourselves, by turning over too much possession, so it was good to get back to what we’re about,” he told the post-match press conference.
“We’ve known what the job is. You could see with Huddersfield yesterday the nervousness in them playing for their livelihoods. We had it for two weeks, against Hull KR and against Leigh, look how many tries we bombed, and we’ve had to go back to real basics, ball handling, and it’s paid off today.”
Watson also said that the boys had done their jobs and despite the odd lapse, been really professional in their approach, given the fact that this week it was also announced that club Director of Rugby, Tim Sheens, is leaving to take up the post of head coach of Hull KR.
“Last week at Leeds, they really struggled to break us down, we made over 400 tackles, and teams have scored from ricochets and kicks, so to see us look after the ball was so pleasing,” he said.
Man of the match Weller Hauraki was outstanding in both his defence and his offence, but it was tough to pick out one player from the 17 who didn’t put his hand up and play well.
Luke Burgess played the game of his short Salford career, while fans Player of the Season Craig Kopczak also made his usual massive gains up the middle when he came on.
The crowd of 1759 saw some great Rugby League, and, pleasingly for the home fans, a return to the sort of game the club were playing earlier in the season.
If they can get a result on Saturday in front of the Sky cameras when London Broncos are the visitors, then they will be almost home and dry.
Almost…
Salford: Niall Evalds, Daniel Vidot, Junior Sa’u, Josh griffin, Gareth O’Brien, Michael Dobson, Luke Burgess, Logan Tomkins, George Griffin, Ben Murdoch-Masila, Weller Hauraki, Mark Flanagan.
Interchange: Olsi Krasniqi, Adam Walne, Robert Lui, Craig Kopczak.
Tries: Hauraki 2, Sa’u 2, Jones 2, Vidot, Evalds, Murdoch-Masila 2, Tompkins, Krasniqi, Dobson.
Goals: O’Brien 9
By Andrew Riley
@QuaysRL
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