Hull KR hammer Salford to extend lead at top

Betfred Super League

Hull KR (24) 54

Tried: Mourgue 2, Batchelor, Luckley, Hiku, Litten 2, Luckley, Booth, Mourgue 2 Goals: Mourgue 9

To keep their advantage at the top of the table, Super League leaders Hull KR snagged a Magic Weekend victory over the depressed Red Devils of Salford.

In front of his hometown crowd at St James’ Park, Newcastle-born Sam Luckley scored the first try for Hull KR, while Dean Hadley curled over for the visitors’ first try.

Soon after, Peta Hiku extended the Robins’ lead, while Jez Litten ran in from distance to let them out before the break.

Noah Booth scored on his debut before Litten’s second try and Arthur Mourgue’s late try sealed the win in style. James Batchelor scored for KR’s fifth try.

With a victory over Leigh, who defeated Catalans in the first game of Magic Weekend earlier on Saturday, Willie Peters’ side reclaim the top three points over Leigh.

Through Batchelor, Hull KR believed they had taken an early lead, but Salford successfully issued a captain’s challenge after noticing that he had struck just before the line.

Oliver Gildart was replaced by Oliver Gildart due to a knee injury shortly after, but the Robins maintained the pressure and won the game thanks to Hadley’s eight-minute winner.

Luckley scored his 98th career try just as he crashed through Joe Shorrocks to force his way through the whitewash.

However, Mikey Lewis’s sending Hiku through to race in from 40 meters left the best for Hull KR.

After the break, Nathan Connell almost scored Salford’s first try, but he accidentally spilled the ball in the process of going over.

As Lewis was being tackled close to the line, he was quickly rubbed salt into the wounds by Hull KR, who deflected a deflected offload into Batchelor’ path as he ran in with ease.

Bill Leyland’s sensational offload, which came from Hiku, followed Booth’s brilliant no-look pass, to send Litten through for his brace.

Mourgue, who had a fantastic boot all night, added two more tries to his total.

Luckley, Brown, Doro, and Leyland are the exchanges.

Salford: Nikorima, Ryan, Marsters, Vaughan, Connell, Shorrocks, Morgan, Ormondroyd, Davis, Chan, Hellewell, Foster, Makin, and Chan.

Warren, Sangare, Wilson, and Hill exchanges.