One side would break their duck for the season as
Huddersfield Giants travelled as the favourites to take on a crisis hit Salford
Red Devils at the Salford Community Stadium, the away side with a chance of
jumping two league places, while the home side could haul themselves off the
bottom with a win.
The Giants have led all of their matches in 2025 at the
break, but have been unable to close, and have tumbled to league and cup
defeats, while Salford, who were given a six-point start on the coupon, were
again placed under salary cap restrictions as their financial crisis continued.
The bookies were struggling to choose a winner but gave the
home side a six-point start on the coupon.
It was a good early showing from Salford, taking the game to
Huddersfield and spending the opening sets deep in the Giants half. On five
minutes former Giant favourite Esan Marsters fended off Tui Lolohea to put his
head down and make it to the line from ten metres out. Ryan Brierley pushed his
conversion kick across the face of the posts.
A good period of Giants pressure came to nothing and after withstanding
the pressure the Red Devils moved the ball quickly downfield with Chris Hill
finding a great pass to Harvey Wilson to run in by the right upright. Brierley
found the target this time for a 10-0 lead.
On twenty-seven the Red Devils were in again with a seventy-metre
break, Jayden Nikorima taking an inside pass from Ethan Ryan to sprint home for
the try. Brierley hit the target for 14-0, the Giants already with a mountain
to climb.
Chris Atkin kicked a Salford 40-20 on thirty-three minutes,
but a Nikorima knock-on wasted the opportunity.
The first opportunity of the second half went to the Giants,
a Lolohea chip to the corner being taken by Sam Halsall in the goal area but he
was unable to ground as the Salford defender, Chris Atkin, got his body under
the ball.
A delightful solo try from Nikorima put the result beyond
doubt as he weaved his way to the line from thirty metres out, scoring under
the posts and giving Brierley a simple conversion for 22-0.
With twelve minutes remaining the Giants avoided a nilling
as Adam Swift took a tap pass to exploit acres of space down the wing to score in
the corner. Liam Sutcliffe was unable to add the conversion.
Brierley added a drop goal on seventy-three to increase the
Giants pain.
Brute strength from Lolohea, pushing past the Salford
defence to ground, barely raised a murmur in the stadium but with the Sutcliffe
conversion it put the Giants into double figures.
Another awful performance from Huddersfield who look devoid
of ideas in attack and tissue paper thin in defence as they showed no opposition
to Salford side who are in the midst of their own crises of finance and
personnel. The Giants are now firmly rooted to the foot of the table as the Red
Devils climb one spot above them. Not a great spectacle but one which will warm
the heart of the Salford fans.
Salford Red Devils: Connell, Ryan, Marsters (T), Watkins,
Cross, Brierley (G ¾, DG), Nikorima (2T), Hill, Atkin. Ormondroyd, Wright,
Wilson (T), Shorrocks. Subs: Morgan, Sangare, Bullock, Chan. 18th
Man: Foster.
Huddersfield Giants: Evalds, Swift (T), Milne, Bibby,
Halsall, Lolohea (T), Sutcliffe (G 1/2), Rogers, Golding, English, Hewitt,
Murchie, Cudjoe. Subs: Deakin, Rushton, Wilson,
Billington. 18th Man: Bibby.
Half-Time: 16-0.
Full-Time: 23-10.
Score Progression: 4-0, 8-0, 10-0, 14-0, 16-0 :HT: 20-0,
22-0, 22-4, 23-4, 23-8, 23-10 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Salford.
Referee: Tom Grant.
