Looking to build on their record-breaking victory last weekend, Salford Red Devils travel to face Warrington Wolves in Round 17 of the Betfred Super League.
It was an unforgettable day for the adoring AJ Bell faithful, with Sunday’s 74-10 victory the club’s biggest ever points margin and points scored to date. The Red Devils’ attacking flair was on full display, with a whole host of players getting on the scoresheet in some style.
Joe Burgess bagged his second hat-trick of the season, Deon Cross, Ryan Brierley, and Ken Sio all notched braces, with Kallum Watkins, Brodie Croft, Tim Lafai, and Sitaleki Akaoula completing the scoring.
Warrington – under the guidance of Daryl Powell – have struggled to build momentum this season and sit below Salford in 9th place – with 50 points difference separating the two sides locked on 12 points.
Back in April, the Wire beat Salford 32-18 on Rivals Round, so the Red Devils will be looking for revenge as well as another vital two points.
Speaking to the press ahead of this one, head coach Paul Rowley has been discussing how high the confidence is around the squad after such an emphatic victory last Sunday.
He said: “It’s always high, to be honest. I think that’s one of the good things about our group, no matter what the outcome is at the weekend, we’ve always said and maintained that we’ve been on this journey of improvement.
“And I think, ultimately, as individuals, you can see everybody has improved from the start to where we are now and that makes the difference when you put it all together.
“So, we’ve got some really high achievers within the group and it’s a good place to be in. It’s always positive and we’ll be positive going into this week as well.”
Moving on to analyze his own style of play, Rowley says that all the hard work on the training ground has translated into some incredible attacking displays.
“We have a philosophy that we bring to the club. Going toe-to-toe and playing in a manner like some teams where you can build your game around territory and possession – like Huddersfield and Saints – we don’t have the personnel to fit that bill,” Rowley continued.
“We have the least amount of territory than any other team, so to be the fourth-best attacking team in the league is phenomenal. It’s certainly in our DNA and what we practise for, but ultimately it’s hard work and it’s a difficult process, but we work to our strengths.”
Salford certainly have the momentum and – with a large traveling crowd expected – they’ll be hoping to reach the same levels as last Sunday.
