Salford Red Devils welcome Betfred Challenge Cup winners Wigan Warriors to the The Salford Stadium on Friday night in Round 15 of the Betfred Super League.
After back-to-back victories against Leeds Rhinos and Castleford Tigers, the Red Devils were beaten 43-16 by Tony Smith’s Hull KR on Sunday afternoon. Despite being inches from taking the lead following a quick Ken Sio and Deon Cross breakaway, the hosts quickly took control of the game, with Lachlan Coote the standout performer.
Paul Rowley’s side will have the opportunity to dust themselves down and go again on Friday night, with the The Salford Stadium crowd hoping to power their side towards a memorable result against the Cherry and Whites.
After Challenge Cup success, Wigan produced a fine second-half comeback to beat Castleford Tigers 12-32 in Round 14 and continue to breathe down the necks of St Helens in top spot.
Speaking to the press before the game, Red Devils boss Paul Rowley has been reflecting on the weekend and admitted he using it as a springboard with his players to rebuild some confidence going into tonight’s crucial fixture.
Rowley said: “Wigan are the form team at the moment. This is a chance to put things right after Sunday. We’ve been honest and brutal with each other (since Sunday). We win and lose together.”
Despite defeat last Sunday, Rowley continues to believe in his squad and has not once questioned their commitment to what they’re trying to achieve.
“We’ve got a small squad but that’s never affected our desire and our enthusiasm,” Rowley continued, “We want to carry on building our reputation and we can do that with more good performances.”
In Salford’s 21-man squad, supporters will be pleased to see Andy Ackers return at hooker after his brief spell out with injury. Sam Luckley also returns to the squad, with Ryan Lannon missing out with the finger injury he picked up early into last weekend’s clash.
As one of the Red Devils’ dearest rivals comes to town, it’s certain to be an electric atmosphere inside the AJ Bell, with another fascinating 80 minutes of action in-store.
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