Stone accused of ‘downing tools’ after Saints thrash Salford

Betfred Super League

Salford (0) 4

Tries: Hill

St Helens (20) 46

Salford Red Devils head coach Paul Rowley accused forward Sam Stone of ‘downing tools’ by making himself unavailable for selection against St Helens.

Kyle Feldt scored four tries and kicked three goals as Saints thrashed the Super League’s bottom side, who had only 17 players available for the game.

Australian Stone has been linked with a move to Warrington Wolves.

“He has been talking to another club since pre-season and now he is fit, I guess that move can start to take shape,” said Rowley.

“Yesterday he downed tools, which makes it a difficult position for us and certainly made today difficult.

“I’m fully understanding of everyone’s thresholds and tolerance, but the situation of that yesterday put us in a bit of strife.

“The manner of it is not good. There is a way of doing things and that is not the way.

“Everyone has to look after themselves and I would facilitate it [the move], but I think if you make a decision which hurts your team-mates it is not a good decision.”

Rowley’s side lost 82-0 to the same opposition on the opening day of the season in February and went close to another nilling at the Salford Community Stadium.

Sam Hill went over for the hosts in the final minute to avoid another shutout, after Feldt’s tries, two from Harry Robertson and one each for Alex Walmsley, Curtis Sironen and debutant Owen Dagnall set up the rout.

Saints’ victory was their third in their past four matches and left them fifth in the table, three points adrift of Leigh Leopards in fourth and four behind Leeds Rhinos in third.

The game was a strange watch at times, with dominance from Saints and indiscipline and handling errors from Salford framed by patches where the hosts might have made more of their possession.

Yet they were on the back foot early, with the visitors racing into a 20-0 lead in 25 minutes, with tries from Sironen, Alex Walmsley and the first two of a quartet from Feldt.

The hosts gained a foothold of sorts after cutting out errors from that point to the half-time siren, but it did not translate into points and in the second half they were blown away.

The understandable frustration spilled over into a couple of flashpoints after Robertson and Feldt extended the lead to 30-0.

Saints’ Walmsley and Matty Foster sparked a mass confrontation around the hour mark and the match simmered from there to the hooter.

Robertson went over for a second just after the hour, Owen Dagnall, on his debut with a first Super League try, added another, and Feldt came back for his fourth to drive yet another nail into Salford’s season.

“Ultimately we are playing teams who have got more quality than ourselves,” Rowley told BBC Radio Manchester. “That is not disrespecting my players but you cannot win a game on heart alone.

“With a 21 or 22 man squad it is extremely difficult and we have lost a couple of bodies today as well. I just urge everyone to keep supporting the boys.

“They are definitely playing with pride and representing the shirt with grit and determination. If we can just put some quality to go along with it there are some green shoots within that team.”

St Helens boss Paul Wellens was understandably pleased with his side’s display but was also coming to terms with a couple of significant injuries

“Curtis (Sironen) came off – he had pretty bad back spasms – George (Whitby) failed a HIA and Joe (Batchelor) came off with what seems calf issue. It was good to come here and get a result but it has come at a bit of a cost,” he said.

Salford: Connell, Vaughan, Hankinson, Warren, Hill, Marsters, Brierley, Ormondroyd, Morgan, Hill, Wright, Foster, Shorrocks

Interchanges: Sangare, Wilson, Glover, Chan

St Helens: Sailor, Feldt, Robertson, Cross, Dagnall, Lomax, Whitby, Walmsley, Clark, Lees, Sironen, Whitley, Knowles

Interchanges: Batchelor, Mbye, Delaney, Stephens