Salford Red Devils pulled off a stunning, record-breaking 74-10 victory over Wakefield Trinity at the The Salford Stadium this afternoon, in Round 16 of the Betfred Super League.
It looked set to be Wakefield’s day within five minutes when they took the lead through James Batchelor. The score was evened out 10 minutes later thanks to Tim Lafai, who dived on Harvey Livett grubber kick to score in the left corner.
Three minutes later, the Red Devils took the lead thanks to an Andy Ackers offload that allowed Salford to keep the ball alive down the right flank. The ball was worked to Deon Cross, who effortlessly dummied his man and went over in front of the South stand.
Ken Sio made it 16-6 in the 23rd minute, after a lofted ball from Brodie Croft was gathered by our number 2 and touched down in the right corner.
From the restart, Salford moved up the field quickly. On the third set, the ball was shifted left and into the hands of Joe Burgess, who demonstrated his blistering speed by sprinting 40 metres down the wing to score.
Just after the half-hour mark, Livett sent another neat grubber kick into the left corner that Burgess was first to, doubling his try tally for the afternoon.
In the 35th minute, Croft broke the Wakefield line and offloaded to the supporting Ryan Brierley who dived over to the right of the sticks.
Marc Sneyd extended Salford’s lead right on the half-time hooter, with a penalty-goal.
HALF-TIME: SALFORD RED DEVILS 32-6 WAKEFIELD TRINITY
Salford started the second forty in the same manner that they finished the first – scoring points. Sneyd sent a grubber kick into the in-goal area that Brodie Croft, today’s Player of the Match, dived on unchallenged.
Kallum Watkins was on the end of a thrilling move from Salford, to slide under the sticks in the 42nd minute.
Wakefield scored their second and last try of the afternoon in the 51st minute through Lewis Murphy.
Salford responded with another try and it was Sio who went over for his second of the afternoon in the 55th minute.
The next ten minutes saw tries from Cross and Sitaleki Akauola, both successfully converted by Sneyd.
Brierley went over in the 72nd minute to make it two tries for our fullback on the day, with Burgess completing his hat-trick a few minutes later.
FULL-TIME: SALFORD RED DEVILS 74-10 WAKEFIELD TRINITY
Salford: Brierley, Sio, Cross, Lafai, Burgess, Croft, Sneyd, Ormondroyd, Ackers, Gerrard, Livett, Watkins, Akauola, Atkin, Luckley, Dupree, Taylor.
Wakefield: Gaskell, Lineham, Croft, Minns, Murphy, Lino, Miller, Hood, Fifita, Whitbread, Ashurst, Pitts, Batchelor, Tanginoa, Battye, Butler, Crowther
Salford tries: Lafai, Cross (2), Sio (2), Burgess (3), Brierley (2), Croft, Watkins, Akauola
Salford goals: Sneyd (10/13)
Salford penalty-goals: Sneyd (1/1)
Wakefield tries: Batchelor, Murphy
Wakefield goals: Lino (1/2)
Referee: J. Smith
Image credit: Steve McCormick
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