Salford Red Devils v Hull KR: Robins will face Devils without main man Ryan Hall

Hull KR star Ryan Hall will be missing as the Robins travel to the AJ Bell on Thursday to face Salford Red Devils.

The 35-year-old winger was forced off with a rib injury at half-time in Saturday’s win over Wigan Warriors after scoring a try in the fourth minute.

Last season the ex-Leeds Rhinos man topped the stats charts for Hull KR scoring their most tries (14), most carries (355) and most metres gained (2936).

The absence of such an experienced and prolific player will come as a huge confidence boost for Rowley’s Red Devils who will be looking to continue their winning start.

Salford Red Devils beat Leigh Leopards 20-10 last Friday in the opening round.

In anticipation of Thursday’s clash against Hull KR, Salford Red Devil’s Head Coach Paul Rowley has named his 21-man squad, including key players such as Ken Sio and Tim Lafai.

🚨 Paul Rowley has named a 21-man squad to take on @hullkrofficial in Round 2⃣…

𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸! 😮‍💨

💪 #TogetherStronger | 🔴👹 pic.twitter.com/SojD1vkpwI

— Salford Red Devils 👹 (@SalfordDevils) February 21, 2023

Sio scored the second most tries in the league last year with 26, while Samoan World Cup finalist Lafai had the most offloads with 49.

The Red Devils may also look for inspiration from two players who have only recently committed their futures to the club with Brodie Croft signing a landmark seven year deal two weeks ago and Joe Burgess who extended his own till 2025 yesterday.

These two continue a batch of recent contract extensions that suggest trust and belief in the current squad’s ability.

However, Rowley’s men will do well to be cautious of Hull KR’s captain and inform man Shaun Kenny-Dowall who scored a hattrick on Saturday.

The 35-year-old New Zealander has scored 15 tries in 66 games for the Robins.

Salford will look to take advantage of their goalscoring ability notably through keen marksman Marc Sneyd who finished top of the kicking charts last season with 97 goals.

Meanwhile the entire Hull KR squad only managed 62 goals last season, a clear advantage for the Red Devils to exploit.

Nonetheless, a winning start for both of these sides will leave them equally as confident going into this round two tie.

All will be played out under the lights of the AJ Bell on Thursday at 8pm.