On paper the most one-sided fixture at the Magic weekend
pitted the lead leaders Hull KR against the side struggling against adversity in
the embattled Salford Red Devils who are just keeping their nose ahead of
fellow strugglers the Huddersfield Giants.
The bookies thought that there could only be one winner and
there was the chance for any risk-taking Salford fan to make a small fortune at 80/1 if
they backed their own side to upset the Champions elect.
The Robins won the round three game between the two sides by
a massive 42-0, and you have to back to round three in 2024, four games ago, to
find the last time that Salford picked up the points.
Under two minutes were on the stadium clock when Hull KR appeared
to have opened their account, Jame Batchelor battering down the Salford door off
a Mikey Lewis pass. Salford made a Captains Challenge, appealing for a
non-existent knock-on in the act of scoring, and their challenge was successful.
Olivert Gildart had to be helped off the field on five minutes
with a knee injury, KR forced to reshuffle.
The Robins did take the lead on nine minutes through Dean
Hadley who span out of the Salford tackle, crossed the line on his back, and
stretched over his shoulder to ground. Arthur Mourgue added the conversion and after
Salford had given a reasonable account of themselves in the opening minutes,
they found themselves behind.
On twenty-two Sam Luckley got the second try for the Robins
as he took the pass five from the line and twisted out of a tackle to go in
from just five metres out. Mourgue added the conversion for 12-0, KR not
getting everything their own way but edging clear of the Red Devils.
The Salford defence stood and watched as Peta Hiku went in
for the third Rovers try on the half hour mark as he scooted from dummy half,
brushing aside the opposition, to stretch and ground. Mourgue was on target for
the third tie for 18-0.
The scoring gap was down to under three minutes for the
fourth try, Mikey Lewis breaking down the centre of the field and finding Jez Litten
in support for a forty-metre run to the line. It was four from four for Mourgue
for 24-0, Salford already condemned to another league loss.
On forty-seven a Lewis offload close to the line hit a
Salford arm and bounced into the hands of Batchelor who grounded from two
metres out, the fifth try of the game. Mourgue split the posts from the touchline.
The Robins were carving Salford apart. On fifty-two they
went ion down the right-hand side with a great Hiku offload into the hands of debutant
Noah Booth to score one-handed in the corner. Mourgue added a touchline
conversion for six from six and a 36-0 lead.
Litten got his second on sixty-seven thanks to some great
work from Bill Leyland who brushed off four tacklers before finding his hooker
in support to run home from eight metres out. It was a seventh Mourgue goal for
42-0.
Mourgue added a try to his goals on seventy-three, taking a
Tyrone May pass to go in under the sticks to make his eighth conversion a
simple one. He added a second try ninety seconds from the final hooter as the
ball went through half a dozen pairs of hands in a fifty metre try, the full
back going in under the sticks. He added the conversion for a personal haul of twenty-six
points in the game.
There was only ever going to be one winner, and it was
always going to be the league leaders, but this was another capitulation from a
Salford side who are pretty close to rock bottom, despite not being at the
bottom of the table. The Robins go back four points clear at the top of the table. Salford were
prevented from scoring again, they have now averaged under six points per game
while conceding an average over thirty-three.
Hull KR: Mourgue (2T, G 9/9), Booth (T), Hiku (T), Gildart, Broadbent,
Lewis, May, Sue, Litten (2T), Whitbread, Hadley (T), Batchelor (T), Minchella. Subs: Brown, Luckley (T), Doro, Leyland. 18th
Man: Wallace.
Salford Red Devils: Nikorima, Ryan, Marsters, Vaughan,
Connell, Shorrocks, Morgan, Ormondroyd, Davis, Chan, Hellewell, Foster, Makin.
Subs: Warren, Sangare, Wilson, Hill. 18th Man: .
Half-Time: 24-0.
Full-Time: 54-0.
Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, 10-0,12-0, 16-0, 18-0, 22-0, 24-0
: HT: 28-0, 30-0, 34-0, 36-0, 40-0, 42-0, 46-0, 48-0, 52-0, 54-0 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: KR.
Referee: Liam Rush.
