Salford Red Devils returned to winning ways in style this afternoon on Channel 4, with some fantastic tries that helped us to a 33-14 win over Huddersfield Giants.
The Red Devils were strengthened with the return of Tyler Dupree and Harvey Livett after a tough few weeks with depleted numbers. Dupree started at open side prop, whilst Livett came on with just over ten minutes to go and bagged himself a try.
It took just three minutes for Salford to open the scoring. Paul Rowley’s side outnumbered Ian Watson’s Giants down the right flank, and that man Ken Sio did what he does best and finished in the corner.
In the 8th minute Salford showed, as they have done all season, just how potent they are from their own half. Tui Lolohea dropped the ball 20 metres from the Reds’ try-line and it was scooped up by Joe Burgess, who covered the rest of the field and extended Salford’s lead.
Salford were 14-0 up after 12 minutes with a kick to come, thanks to Kallum Watkins this time, stabbing a grubber kick ahead of himself before touching the ball down to the right of the sticks.
Five minutes later however, the visitors were on the board thanks to an individual effort from Chris McQueen, pulling off a one-on-one ball steal on Burgess straight from a Salford scrum, to dart over in the right corner.
Salford kept their composure and took back control of the game in the 25th minute, when Sio and Ryan Brierley demonstrated some quality link-up play down the right wing that finished with a basketball-esque pass from Sio that allowed Brierley to stroll over unopposed.
Before the half-hour mark, Salford had scored again. Marc Sneyd sent a neat grubber kick in that cut the Giants’ defence in half and it was Tim Lafai to ground the ball to the left of the posts.
As the game approached half-time, Huddersfield piled the pressure on with a number of back-to-back set restarts and penalties but Salford held on. With six seconds to go before the interval however, Brodie Croft was sin-binned for holding on too long after completing a tackle.
HALF-TIME: SALFORD RED DEVILS 26-6 HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS
Huddersfield came out after the break revamped and were playing with more of a purpose, illustrated by two tries from Sam Hewitt that put the Giants right back in it.
It wasn’t until the 64th minute that Salford found some more point to add to their lead – a penalty-goal from Marc Sneyd to add an extra cushion.
With five minutes to go and just two converted tries ahead, Salford opted for a drop-goal and Sneyd was successful in sending one through the sticks and into the bouncing South Stand.
Livett put the game to bed with two minutes to go, grounding the ball in the left corner.
Salford travel to Perpignan next weekend to face Catalans Dragons, with tickets on sale HERE.
FULL-TIME: SALFORD RED DEVILS 33-16 HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS
Salford: Brierley, Sio, Cross, Lafai, Burgess, Croft, Sneyd, Dupree, Ackers, Wright, Watkins, Taylor, Gerrard, Atkin, Ormondroyd, Livett, Akauola.
Huddersfield: Lolohea, L. Senior, Cudjoe, King, I. Senior, Russell, Fages, Hill, O’Brien, Trout, Hewitt, McQueen, Yates, Levi, Greenwood, Wilson, Ashworth.
Salford tries: Sio, Burgess, Watkins, Brierley, Lafai, Livett.
Salford goals: Sneyd (3/5)
Salford penalty-goals: Sneyd
Salford drop-goals: Sneyd
Huddersfield tries: McQueen, Hewitt (2)
Huddersfield goals: Russell (2/4)
Huddersfield penalty-goals: Russell
Referee: Liam Moore
Image credit: Steve McCormick