Salford Red Devils boss Paul Rowley was proud of his teams’ efforts to almost overturn a 24-4 half-time deficit away against Wakefield Trinity on Sunday.
In Round 7 of the Betfred Super League, the Red Devils travelled to the Be Well Support Stadium hoping to build on their last league victory against the Leeds Rhinos a fortnight ago.
Despite moments of opportunity, the hosts – largely through Tom Johnstone – dominated proceedings in the first 40 and went into half-time with a sizeable lead.
The reaction in the second 40 was excellent, with some intense pressure on the Wakefield defence building the platform for an almost spectacular comeback. Deon Cross, Ken Sio and Rhys Williams all scored second-half tries, but the game was just out of Salford’s reach.
Speaking to the press after the game, Rowley was quick to say how proud he is of his team for their efforts but knows there is room for improvement if they want to return to winning ways.
Rowley said: “I’m always proud of their efforts – I’m proud of them every day they turn up for training. I’m proud of all our players, I’m proud of all our staff every week in training and on a match day.
“But I don’t give out bravery badges and being a champion is really tough, and that’s why it’s tough – we’re not going to give cuddles out for digging in though, it’s about winning.”
After a weeks’ rest, Salford go head-to-head with local rivals Warrington Wolves in Round 8 of the Betfred Super League. It begins a tricky stretch of fixtures for the Red Devils, but the head coach is seeing it as an opportunity to showcase the talent this team possesses.
Rowley continued: “We’ll rest up for a few days now and have a good week’s prep into Warrington, who will obviously be fired up and desperate themselves.
“But we don’t waver or fear anybody, we definitely know we’re capable, but you’ve got to defend.”
Daryl Powell’s side have lost their last five in all competitions, so they will also be looking to bounce back and climb back up the table. It’s all set up to be an enthralling clash at the Halliwell Jones Stadium next Thursday.
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Written by: Harry Siddall
