Salford Red Devils boss Paul Rowley has discussed how ‘proud’ he is of his players, despite falling to a 14-10 defeat against St Helens on Friday night.
After a fantastic performance, but an ultimately heartbreaking loss to Wigan Warriors the week prior, Salford had to pick themselves up and go again against the reigning Betfred Super League champions.
Morgan Escare got the visitors off to a flying start when he darted in between the St Helens defence and went over to the right of the sticks. The hosts responded with tries from Ben Davies and Jack Welsby before Matt Costello scored for the second consecutive game to level the scores.
Two late penalties cost Salford in the end, with Tommy Makinson opting to kick for two points on both occasions.
At the death, the Red Devils went within metres of levelling the scores against the league leaders. Chris Atkin intercepted a loose Saints pass and sprinted the length of the pitch before a last-ditch tackle from Morgan Knowles stopped his progress on the 10-metre line.
Speaking to the press after the game, Paul Rowley has admitted – despite defeat – there are so many positives his team can take from the 80 minutes.
He said: “Today was about attitude for us. After the workload that they’ve had, the injuries etc, it was all about attitude and again, they’ve shown that they’ve got a great attitude and they don’t leave anything out there.
“There are some really good signs. We know we’re on a journey and in any journey, there are highs and lows, this is a process with the new coaching staff and new players, so the main thing is that you stay upbeat.”
With injuries continuing to pile up, the two-week break has come at a timely point for the Red Devils squad. Rowley has said he wants his players to go home, recharge and get ready for another run of crucial fixtures.
The boss continued: “We’ve got a few days off now; we’ll give the boys a few days off to not think about rugby and chill out and then come back to attack it again – we’ve played every team at least once now.
“As I said, we’re on a journey and there are some really good signs and I’m really proud of them today. Proud of their attitude, proud of their effort because it’s a tough place to come.”
The next task for Salford is the visit of Leeds Rhinos to the The Salford Stadium. Earlier this season, Rowley’s side were at their impressive best to beat the West Yorkshire outfit 26-12 and the boss will be looking for a repeat of that performance to get back to winning ways.
Tickets on sale HERE for Leeds Rhinos’ return to the The Salford Stadium, on Sunday 15th May.
