Hull Kingston Rovers had their eyes on the top of the table as they travelled to a soggy Greater Manchester to take on a Salford Red Devils side who were looking to spoil the visitors one hundred percent start to the season, and go back above the Leeds Rhinos into the top half of the table.
A win of any description would lift KR into second, a big points win would see them finish the round in top spot and they were favourites with the bookies to take the points off Salford, the home side getting eight points start on the coupon.
Salford lost Ryan Brierley prior to kick off with a hamstring issue, Chris Atkin stepping into his shoes at full back for the hosts.
It was an end to end start to the game with some fast play-the-balls but also some glaring errors from both sides.
On fifteen the Red Devils were first on the board when Deon Cross chased through and dabbed down a Marc Sneyd grubber kick before sliding dead in goal. Sneyd added the conversion from wide, the home side with a six-point lead.
The visitors were struggling to break down a gritty Salford defence and becoming increasingly frustrated that they couldn’t find a way through.
Kallum Watkins went close on thirty-four and on the next play Chris Hankinson picked up a bounce pass to juggle and dive in by the right-hand corner flag. Sneyd added another superb touchline conversion for a 12-0 lead. Salford had run their blood to water for their two converted try lead at the break.
Joe Burgess knocked on a metre from his own line on forty-five as he tried to collect a Sneyd bouncing ball. Salford were awarded a penalty and Sneyd found the target from fifteen metres out for a three-score lead.
A second penalty in quick time for Sneyd added another two points to the Salford score as they edged to 16-0 on fifty minutes, but Salford blotted their copy book two minutes later when Deon Cross held back Burgess as he tried to take a quick tap on the twenty.
The twelve men conceded their first try a minute later as Peta Hiku slid over in the right corner after dipping his shoulder on taking a Mikey Lewis pass to run the angle for ten metres to score. James Batchelor missed the conversion attempt from wide.
Hiku was penalised for a knock-on on sixty-two but vociferously disagreed with the official and found himself in receipt of a yellow card, just as Salford returned to a full thirteen on the field.
With fifteen minutes remaining Jez Litten took a pass from Kelepi Tanginoa after great work from the second-rower to sprint ten metres and slide over the line. Litten added the extras for 10-16, Hull KR just a converted try behind with plenty of time left on the clock.
A pushing and shoving huddle broke out on sixty-nine but the referee was restrained in his card issuing and a Sneyd drop goal from twenty metres, a minute later, extended the lead to an all-important two scores. It was enough to ensure the win.
Salford sprung a bit of a surprise with the first defeat of the season for Hull KR as they collected their second victory and regained sixth spot in the table, the position that they lost for a couple of hours after the Rhinos win earlier in the day. It was a good defensive performance in a scrappy game which will have both coaches focussing on ball retention over the coming week.
Salford Red Devils: Atkin, Hankinson (T), MacDonald, Lafai, Cross (T, SB on 52), Cust, Sneyd (4G), Ormondroyd, Bourouh, Singleton, Watkins, Stone, Shorrocks. Subs: Morgan, Vuniyayawa, Wright, Hellewell. 18th Man: .
Hull KR: Hiku (T, SB on 62), Burgess, Opacic, Gildart, Hall R, May, Lewis, Hadley, Litten (T, G), Whitbread, Tanginoa, Batchelor, Minchella. Subs: Sue, King, Parcell, Luckley. 18th Man: Storton.
Half-Time: 12-0.
Full-Time: 17-10.
Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, 10-0, 12-0 : HT: 14-0, 16-0, (SB), 16-4, (SB), 16-8, 16-10, 17-10 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Salford.
Referee: Tom Grant.
