Leeds claim victory at Salford for first league win

Betfred Super League

Salford (6) 6

Tries: Watkins Goals: Sneyd

Leeds (14) 32

Salford Red Devils defeated Leeds Rhinos 3-0 at Salford Community Stadium to recover from a disappointing first-day defeat.

Two first-half tries from winger Riley Lumb and one each from Morgan Gannon, Ash Handley, James Bentley and Ryan Hall earned the Rhinos a deserved win in Greater Manchester.

Salford, playing their first game since a takeover, had an early lead thanks to a second-minute try from Kallum Watkins.

The hosts won the game 40-20 after Marc Sneyd’s excellent kick from his own half, and Salford captain Watkins soared over the line from there before Leeds could even manage to score.

However, the visitors settled into the game, and Salford full-back Ryan Brierley batted the ball out for a goal-line drop out before a measured kick from Jake Connor almost found Lumb.

Sneyd’s short goal-line kick was retrieved by the Rhinos and after receiving another set of six, Connor’s tidy grubber-kick found Lumb to dive over and score in the corner.

After receiving a kind ricochet from another kick from Connor, Leeds took the lead when Salford’s four defenders subdued their pressure to reach over the line. Gannon, who had already been injured, then took the lead.

Just before half-time, ex-Red Devil Croft suffered his injury after clashing heads with Jack Ormondroyd in the midst of a tackle from Joe Shorrocks, who was sent to the sin-bin in the aftermath.

Croft was stretchered off the field after almost ten minutes, but the team later claimed he was recovering and that he had stopped for some of the second half.

Super League history was made in the second-half, when the Super League’s first-ever successful captain’s challenge was given by video referee Liam Rush after it was judged Salford’s Jayden Nikorima had ripped the ball out of the grasp of Handley following an on-field knock-on call.

Handley’s outstanding footwork then allowed him to gather and score next to the sticks as the Rhinos increased their lead to 16 points and kept the audience at a distance.

Salford began to take chances in possession and scored its fifth try after receiving an entirely different 13 from the team that started last Saturday’s 82-0 humiliation by St Helens last weekend.

Veteran winger Hall scored his first Super League try for Leeds since returning to the club to gloss over the Rhinos’ victory as the clock ran out.

Paul Rowley, the coach of the Salford Red Devils, told BBC Radio Manchester:

“We had a strong performance today, and we need to improve and move forward.” Today, Leeds was far superior to us.

We initially had a lot of energy, but after the first 20 minutes, we lost momentum in our defense and this led to some sloppiness in our attack as well.

On the completion of Salford’s takeover in the week:

Because there is so much history and heritage at this club, and people have been coming for a long time, including dads and grandpas, I feel happier for the fans, to be honest.

Brad Arthur, the coach of the Leeds Rhinos, told BBC Radio Leeds:

“They’re the sort of wins that you really enjoy and you’re proud of as a coach. Anything that could have gone wrong for us, in terms of a positional sense, did – especially when we lost Crofty]Brodie Croft].

They tested us and they’re a good football team, they say. The previous week when we chased the scoreboard and didn’t back ourselves for the entire 80 minutes, was a significant improvement.

On Brodie Croft’s injury:

Interchanges: Hankinson, Sangare, Foster, Ormondroyd.

Sin-bin: Shorrocks.

Leeds: Connor, Lumb, Handley, Newman, Hall, Croft, Frawley, Palasia, Ackers, Jenkins, Bentley, McDonnell, Smith.

Interchanges: O’Connor, Lisone, Holroyd, Gannon.