Salford come away with their first Super League win of the season after besting Huddersfield Giants in front of a 3,764 strong home crowd.
An important two points for the Devils was hard-earned from four tries, two of which were by man of the match, Jayden Nikorima, for a 23-10 win.
Round five kicked off well for the Reds as they pushed the Giants back into their own half. It didn’t take too long before Esan Marsters was able to break through the defence to ground the ball in the far right.
Huddersfield almost bounced right back but a try-saving tackle by Chris Atkin, on his 100th games as a Red Devil, stopped them short. Their next attempt was unsuccessful too as Tui Lolohea’s chip was unable to be grounded.
Salford’s lead continued with an amazing try from Harvey Wilson following a last-second offload by Chris Hill. Ryan Brierley smashed the ball through the sticks to bring it to 10-0.
Once again, the Giants were stopped short by the Reds as Matty English was tackled to end their set at the try line.
Off the back of this, Marsters made a clean break towards the line and, with a smooth pass, Jayden Nikorima became the third Red Devil over the whitewash.
Chris Atkin showed a kicking masterclass as he kicked a 40/20 to bring his side right back into Giants territory.
Salford got the advantage once again as Kallum Watkins made a successful Captain’s Challenge for a ball strip. This success earned the Reds a penalty which got them within the Giants’ 20. However, a knock on halted their attack.
With some quick passes at the hooter, Salford almost made another break for it but were soon tackled, ending the first half at 16-0.
The second half seemed to start more fortunate for the away side as Halsall crossed in the corner. However, Atkin had him wrapped well, stopping the try and keeping Huddersfield nilled.
An amazing line break by Nikorima, and his quick feet to dodge the Giants’ attempted tackles, gave him his second try of the night right under stick. Incredible skill from the half-back which sent the home crowd crazy!
This skill was showcased once again as he broke through the defence and ran solo towards the line. Unfortunately, Lolohea was able to rip the ball and make a break back towards half way.
Huddersfield managed to pull back a few points with an Adam Swift try on the wing. Liam Sutcliffe’s kick went wide, keeping Salford with a substantial 18-point lead.
The away side lost their Captain’s Challenge in the final 10 minutes after a knock on and their misfortune continued as Brierley got a drop goal, pushing the Reds even further ahead.
Watkins reused his Captain’s Challenge for a call of a knock on. Despite being successful, the Video Refereee caught them offside and Huddersfield were handed a penalty.
With this advantage, the Giants managed to close the gap a bit more with a Lolohea try and Sutcliffe conversion.
However, this comeback wasn’t enough to catch the Reds as they came away with a 23-10 win. A huge win for the home side!
MATCH FACTS:
Salford XIII: Nathan Connell, Ethan Ryan, Esan Marsters, Kallum Watkins (C), Deon Cross, Ryan Brierley, Jayden Nikorima, Chris Hill, Chris Atkins, Jack Ormondroyd, Shane Wright, Harvey Wilson, Joe Shorrocks
Interchanges: Kai Morgan, Justin Sangare, Joe Bullock, Tiaki Chan
Tries: Marsters, Wilson, Nikorima (2)
Conversions: Brierley (4/5)
Huddersfield Giants XIII: Niall Evalds, Adam Swift, Taane Milne, Jake Bibby, Sam Halsall, Liam Sutcliffe, Tui Lolohea, Fenton Rogers, Ash Golding, Matty English, Jack Murchie, Sam Hewitt, Leroy Cudjoe
Interchanges: Tom Deakin, Oliver Wilson, Harry Rushton, Jack Billington
Tries: Swift, Lolohea
Conversions: Sutcliffe (1/2)
HT: 16-0
FT: 23-10
