Salford Red Devils kickstarted their Qualifiers campaign in emphatic fashion after securing a spectacular 10-28 victory over Hull Kingston Rovers, on a drizzly evening at KCOM Craven Park.
Tries from Niall Evalds, Robert Lui, debutant Joey Lussick and Josh Wood ensured Ian Watsonโs side got off to a flyer in the seven-game competition to earn two crucial points and a second-successive triumph.
Salford had a glorious chance to take the lead in the 6th minute of the half when Jackson Hastings was taken high. The Red Devils opted to kick at goal, but Ed Chamberlainโs penalty effort landed wide of the mark.
Both sides struggled to mount any real momentum in the early stages, first Junior Vaivai gifted Salford with an opportunity to score after failing to deal with Luiโs high kick, before Lee Mossop then squandered the chance from the resulting set after knocking on.
The visitors werenโt to be denied for long though, Adam Quinlan was penalised for pushing at the play-the-ball. Salford again chose to kick at goal but this time, Chamberlain comfortably slotted the ball over.
Salford frequently broke from deep throughout the half and this tactic finally paid dividends a minute later when Mark Flanagan collected a short ball from Lui, before piercing through the Rovers line and expertly releasing the onrushing Evalds to give the Reds a six-point lead.
Chamberlain was unsuccessful from the subsequent conversion and things almost worsened for Salford when James Donaldson went crashing over from dummy half. However, the forward dropped the ball at the crucial moment.
Soon after, Rovers’ efforts finally paid dividends as Junior Sa’u failed to contain Quinlan in the tackle and the full-back acted quickly to find Craig Hall in the corner with a cleverly weighted kick.
Salford responded brilliantly and were soon denied a score of their own when Jake Bibby dived over in the corner, only for the try to be chalked off following a forward pass from Chamberlain.
After the break, the Red Devils picked up where they left off when Ryan Lannon earned a penalty after being held down in the tackle. Hastings took over goal-kicking duties and comfortably added another two points to extend the margin to four points.
In what proved to be a tight affair throughout, a moment of brilliance was required for Salford to break away from the Robins and 15 minutes into the half, half-back Lui duly provided it.
After former Swinton man Chris Atkin threw a wayward pass, Lui pounced to intercept the loose ball before racing ninety metres to cross for a stunning solo effort under the posts.
Hastings added his second goal of the evening, but it was another new recruit who was to dominate the headlines this time out. Lussick โ who was making his debut for the club after arriving a fortnight ago from Australia โ claimed his maiden try in Salford colours after spotting a gap in the KR backline to dive over from dummy half.
Half-back Hastings then landed two more goals โ the second a penalty after Evalds was pulled back off the ball โ but the hosts responded with a consolation try when Shaun Lunt barged his way over from close-range.
Despite the slight resurgence from Rovers, Salford werenโt to be halted for long as Wood remarkably ducked under Nick Scruton and Ben Kavanagh, before flinging himself over the whitewash to round-off a dominant performance.
Hull KR Lineup: Quinlan; Oakes, Crooks, Vaivai, Hall; Carney, McGuire; Scruton, Lunt, Mulhern, Tickle, Tomkins, Clarkson. ย
Interchanges:ย Greenwood, Kavanagh, Donaldson, Atkin.
Salford Lineup:ย Evalds; Bibby, Chamberlain, Saโu, Olpherts; Lui, Hastings; Mossop, Wood, Murray, Jones, McCarthy, Lannon.
Interchanges:ย Lussick, Flanagan, Tasi, Nakubuwai.
Hull KR Scorers:ย Tries-ย Hall (32โ), Lunt (73โ) |ย Goals-ย Tickle (74โ)
Salford Scorers:ย Tries-ย Evalds (20โ), Lui (55โ), Lussick 66โ, Wood 78โ |ย Goals-ย Chamberlain (19โ) Hastings (49โ, 56โ, 67โ,70โ, 79′)
Half-Time Score: 4-6
Man of the Match:ย Joey Lussick.
Referee:ย Robert Hicks.
Image Credit: Steve McCormick
Tag: Jackson Hastings
Joey Lussick | “I want to do my part for the team”
Australian Hooker Joey Lussick is in line to debut against Hull Kingston Rovers in the Red Devils Qualifiers opener and can’t wait to get out on the field now he has settled in.
Lussick, who is available for sponsorship, said: โWhile the Qualifiers are on I just want to get in, play my best performances, keep improving as a player and do my part for the team here at Salford.
“Hopefully we can take care of the eights and move on and potentially go again next year.โ
Lussick arrived at the The Salford Stadium prior to the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup semi-finals meaning he’s had an extra week to settle in with housemate Jackson Hastings and get to grips with his other teammates.
He said: โThe week off helps, an extra week of training, an extra week to get combinations, extra week to get things done with the boys.โ
โMe and Jacko [Jackson Hastings] have been good friends for a couple of years now so it definitely helps him getting here a couple of days ago so he sort of found his feet too so itโs good to have a mate here to help me round.โ
Watch Joey Lussick’s full interview with Salford Red Devils TV below:
Preview | Hull Kingston Rovers vs Salford Red Devils | Friday 10th August
After an impressive victory over Leeds Rhinos in their last outing, Salford now look ahead to a Friday night’s clash against Hull Kingston Rovers with the aim of starting the Qualifiers and forging some momentum for the course of the seven-game campaign.
Last time out
The Red Devils will head into this weekend’s game high on confidence following a dominant display against Leeds Rhinos a fortnight ago in which they managed to overturn to 2017 Betfred Super League champions despite being reduced to twelve men for an hour.
Jackson Hastings made a scintillating twenty-minute debut in which he crossed for a try as well as sending Niall Evalds on his way after Ryan Lannon had levelled the scores early on. Evalds would cross for a second in his return to the The Salford Stadium while Ed Chamberlain, Rob Lui and Josh Jones would all also score in a memorable performance.
Likewise, Hull KR had a game to remember last time out. KR coach Tim Sheens side had the duo of Danny Tickle and Craig Hall to thank on a wet Friday Night under the lights at the KCOM Stadium in a 20-16 win against fierce rivals Hull FC.
KR put an end to a seven-game losing streak against their cross-city rivals when Tickleโs penalty on the hour got Rovers’ nose in front, where they managed to stay for the big derby win.
Hall managed to mark his second debut back at Hull KR following his re-signing on loan from Leigh Centurions by helping himself to two tries and kicking a goal on his way to the Man of the Match award.
Form
Salford managed to turn their fortunes around last time out against the Leeds Rhinos and the additions of Jackson Hastings, Joey Lussick and Jansin Turgut have only added to that momentum in recent weeks.ย The Red Devils will be looking to make it back-to-back victories and get their Qualifiers campaign off to a flying start.
Hull Kingston Rovers are enjoying a solid run, a loss against Warrington Wolves a few weeks ago is the only mark by in a purple patch with results over Hull FC, Widnes Vikings, Huddersfield Giants and a victory over the Red Devils the last time the sides met.
Head-to-Head
This weekโs head-to-head pits Betfred Super League Record try-scorer Danny McGuire up against his opposite number, Salfordโs number six Robert Lui.
Stand Off McGuire, who signed a two-year deal for Hull Kingston Rovers ahead of the 2018 season has had a prolific Super League career, becoming the first player to ever score 200 tries.
While only making 14 appearances for the Rovers, McGuire has been instrumental for the Tim Sheens side when he has been involved and he crossed for a hat-trick in the last meeting between the sides in early July.
Lui will come into this weekend’s fixture brimming with confidence following a magnificent Man of the Match display against Leeds Rhinos in which he crossed for a try and provided five try-assists. Lui is central to everything the Red Devils do going forward and if he is on form at KCOM Craven Park expect Salford to cause KR issues.
๐ Congratulations to Rob Lui who was selected as last night's Man of the Match by Official Match Sponsor – @SeduloMCR.
๐ A try, four try-assists and a pinpoint kicking game – terrific choice. pic.twitter.com/ubS1lHWPEh
— Salford Red Devils ๐น (@SalfordDevils) July 28, 2018
This key battle could very well decide who wins this Qualifiers opener. Both men will be looking to control the game for their respective sides and can bring that little bit of creativity which can tip a game.
Team News
New signing Jackson Hastings is named in the 19-man squad despite leaving the field early on his debut.ย Fellow Australian and new acquisition Joey Lussick could be in line to make his debut following his arrival at the The Salford Stadium.
Kris Welham and Craig Kopczak both return to the squad after spells on the sideline and could return to start Salfordโs campaign to retain their place in the Betfred Super League.ย Jack Littlejohn, Logan Tomkins, George Griffin, Luke Burgess and Kriss Brining remain sidelined with injuries.
Hull KR have a few names back at their disposal, Junior Vaivai, Danny McGuire, Shaun Lunt, James Greenwood and Joel Tomkins all return for round one of The Qualifiers.
Todd Carney, Craig Hall and Ben Crooks all unsurprisingly make the squad after debuting in the dramatic derby win against Hull FC.
KR will be without the injured Lee Jewitt and the suspended pair of Mose Masoe and Maurice Blair. However, Will Oakes will be available again after serving his one-game suspension.
Squads
Hull KR:ย Adam Quinlan, Junior Vaivai, Danny McGuire, Nick Scruton, Shaun Lunt, James Greenwood, Ben Kavanagh, James Donaldson, Chris Clarkson, Tommy Lee, Robbie Mulhern, Liam Salter, Chris Atkin, Will Oakes, Danny Tickle, Joel Tomkins, Todd Carney, Craig Hall, Ben Crooks
Salford Red Devils: Kris Welham, Junior Saโu, Niall Evalds, Robert Lui, Craig Kopczak, Josh Jones, Mark Flanagan, Lama Tasi, Ryan Lannon, Tyrone McCarthy, Ben Nakubuwai, Josh Wood, Derrell Olpherts, Lee Mossop, Jake Bibby, Daniel Murray, Ed Chamberlain, Jackson Hastings, Joey Lussick.
Table Permutations
With this being the opening weekend of The Qualifiers all points tallies are reset for the competition and starting at zero points gives every side a chance to almost start the season again.
Both Salford and Hull KR will be hoping to get off to a good start and begin building some momentum with the hopes of retaining their place in the Betfred Super League.
With The Qualifiers at the toughest they’ve possibly ever been with Hull KR, Leeds Rhinos and Widnes Vikings having Betfred Super League experience alongside some intriguing and talented sides from the Betfred Championship including winners Toronto Wolfpack, surprise package Halifax RLFC and French outfit Toulouse Olympique. Both Salford and KR will know a strong start is paramount.
Match Officials
Referee:ย Robert Hicks.
Touch Judge:ย Jonathan Roberts.
Touch Judge:ย Andrew Sweet.
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Written by Matt Tandy.
Ian Watson | “We need to show our steel”
The memory of the last time that the Salford Red Devils travelled to Hull KR, in a Qualifiers match, two years ago, must be surely etched in the memory of every one of our fans as it was, of course, in the Million Pound Game.
When the players make their first return visit, in this competition on Friday there will be a number of those players who were involved on that day for whom the memory will be even more stark than our own personal ones as Head Coach Ian Watson readily acknowledges.
Watson said: โGames like that will always be there in the back of your memory, especially with that match having so much meaning to it, and, especially after the game itself having seen the fall out from it with people losing their jobs alongside other consequences. The emotions around all that ensure that those experiences stay with you for the rest of your life.
โSo will they for players like Sean Lunt who not only was involved in the actual game but also witnessed and experienced first hand the after effects from the defeat.
โAt least on this occasion it is not another Million Pound Game itโs more like a โmini-leagueโ game, which will probably enable everyone to put their thoughts to the back of their minds and as professionals we will approach it as a really serious contest.
โNo-one wants to get off to a poor start by losing early games because that could lead directly to involvement in this yearโs Million Pound Game but at the moment both sides will all be treating it as nothing more than a really tough match.โ
โI always think itโs a good place to go to, though some players find it really intimidating. It is the sort of place that you should want to play in with the extremely loud crowd getting on your back. These things should actually spur you on by you turning them into positive elements.
โYou know before you arrive exactly what you are going to get from the spectators on the terraces but out there on the pitch it is just your team against theirs and you should be keen and eager to get out there and challenge yourself.โ
It is only a few weeks since the Red Devils last made the trip to KCOM Craven Park and Salford will be looking to avenge a disappointing defeat.
โIt was the fact that we failed to show the necessary resilience after their second try from one of our kicks, that ultimately led to our problems, because up to that point we had been playing really well. We need to correct that and show that we have a bit of steel about us and can grind out a win away from home.
โWhat we learned from that game is that we have to have that attitude and mentality which determines that we will stick to our guns as a team – no matter what. What we donโt want is people doing their own thing to try and fix things up rather than doing so as a team because that just does not work.โ
There are a number of former Salford Red Devils colleagues, including former Director of Rugby Tim Sheens, now installed in similar roles at KCOM Craven Park.
โItโs not a bad thing from our point of view because having worked alongside him for twelve months I have got to know the sort of things he will be thinking both ahead of the game and during it but it will be the players who will determine the outcome on the day.
โAs coaches we here will be doing our jobs during the week and hopefully we will have prepared the team to go to Hull KR and get the victory.โ
Within our ranks for the encounter, will undoubtedly be new recruit, Jackson Hastings, who made such an incredible impact in his Betfred Super League debut against Leeds.
Watson said: โThe really pleasing thing is that he has come in and lifted everybodyโs spirits with his enthusiasm and confidence. We have also seen that he is a genuine footballer who can read the play and so bring us that control which we have struggled to get all year.
โIt would have been great to have been able to get him earlier but now that he is here we are looking forward to seeing what sort of on-field relationships he can strike up with the players around him. He provides leadership, and the forwards are going to listen to someone who is organising things around them, and they will fit into what is needed to be done.
โRob Lui, on the back of that, stepped up to a different level and I thought he was the best player on the field that night. Hopefully a little bit of the pressure will be taken off him now.
Joey Lussick has also arrived in recent weeks and could be set to debut against Hull Kingston Rovers on Friday evening.
โJackson and Joey have played together before and we have spent some time working with them and fullback Niall Evalds to help them build a thorough understanding throughout them all.โ
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Squad | Ian Watson names 19-man for Qualifiers opener
Head Coach Ian Watson has named his squad for our Qualifiers opener against Hull Kingston Rovers at KCOM Craven Park this Friday, 8pm kick-off.
New signing Joey Lussick is in line to make his Salford Red Devils debut following his arrival at the The Salford Stadium just under a fortnight ago.
Fellow Australian acquisition Jackson Hastings retains his place in the squad despite leaving the field early in his impressive debut against Leeds Rhinos in our final Betfred Super League game of the regular season.
Following a short stint on the sidelines, Kris Welham returns to the Red Devils 19-man squad to face his former club while Craig Kopczak may also feature.
Gavin Bennion and Levy Nzoungou are the two changes from the squad named to take on Leeds Rhinos a fortnight ago.
Jack Littlejohn, Logan Tomkins, George Griffin, Luke Burgess and Kriss Brining remain sidelined.
The full squad is as follows:
Kris Welham, Junior Saโu, Niall Evalds, Robert Lui, Craig Kopczak, Josh Jones, Mark Flanagan, Lama Tasi, Ryan Lannon, Tyrone McCarthy, Ben Nakubuwai, Josh Wood, Derrell Olpherts, Lee Mossop, Jake Bibby, Daniel Murray, Ed Chamberlain, Jackson Hastings, Joey Lussick.
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Jackson Hastings | “I’ve never experienced anything like that”
Yesterday evening Salford Red Devils halfback Jackson Hastings appeared on BBC Radio Manchesterโs โSport at Sixโ and emphasised how good the atmosphere at the The Salford Stadium was on his debut against Leeds Rhinos.
Speaking on BBC Radio Manchester, Hastings, sponsored by Advanced Steel, said: โIโve never experienced anything like that.
โIโve played in front of bigger crowds but the noise from our fans and the Leeds fans combined was pretty special for a first game.
โI felt really welcome from not only the players and coaching staff but the fans as well who gave me an unbelievable reception.
โWeโve got a couple of hard games coming up against teams with very vocal fans which will be very exciting as well.โ
You can listen to Jackson Hastingsโ full appearance on BBC Radio Manchesterโs โSport at Sixโ by clicking here.
Brian Noble | “He’s clearly set a marker down”
Jackson Hastings debuted for the Red Devils in an impressive victory over Leeds Rhinos on Friday evening and Brian Noble feels he has lifted spirits at the The Salford Stadium.
Speaking on the BBCโs Super League Show, Noble said: โThe break from dummy half is fantastic โ a bit of speed and bit of zip.
โYou want new players to do something for you and he clearly has I think heโs involved in an assist as well, so heโs clearly set a marker down.
โHeโs saying all the right things publicly.
โI think he freed up Robert Lui a little bit there which has helped his game and clearly thereโs an enthusiasm about Salford there that maybe wasnโt before Hastings was.โ
Former Salford halfback Luke Robinson, also speaking on BBCโs Super League show, said: โBringing in new players as Brian said earlier it just lifts the players.
โItโs a bit of a morale boosting lift when youโre bringing in someone of that quality and he seemed to have a big impact on the day.โ
You can watch Jackson Hastingsโ full debut by purchasing or renting the full eighty-minute game here.
Or, you can watch the highlights on Salford Red Devils TV below:
Kevin Sinfield | “Hastings won the game for Salford”
Leeds Rhinos Director of Rugby Kevin Sinfield admitted his side were outplayed by the Red Devils and pointed to halfback duo Jackson Hastings and Rob Lui as the reasons why.ย
Hastings featured for the opening twenty minutes scoring and creating a try while Lui also crossed and racked up four try-assists in a great attacking display from Ian Watsonโs men.
Sinfield said regarding his sides performance: โClearly not good enough, clearly outplayed by twelve men.
He added: โI thought [Jackson] Hastings had a great first twenty minutes and he won the game for Salford.
โOn the back of that [Rob] Lui just kicked the ball out, slowed the game down, managed the game and unfortunately weโre not capable of dealing with that at this moment in time.โ
You can listen to what new signing Jackson Hastings said regarding Kevin Sinfield in the lead up to the game earlier this week in the video below:
Stat Pack | Salford Red Devils 38-22 Leeds Rhinos
Salford Red Devils earned just their third victory over Leeds Rhinos since the inception of the Betfred Super League and we delve into the facts and figures that made it happen.
Player in Focus
The likes of Jackson Hastings, Rob Lui and Niall Evalds took the plaudits for a fantastic victory over Leeds however back-rower Tyrone McCarthy was a key performer who possibly slipped under the radar.
๐๐ป Well last night was just what the Doctor ordered going in to the Qualifiers.
Great effort from all the @SalfordDevils lads and a nice little debut for @JackoHastings. Welcome mate, now letโs get the job done!
๐น๐น๐น๐น๐น๐น๐น๐น๐น๐น๐น๐น๐น
— Tyrone McCarthy Testimonial (@TykeMc) July 28, 2018
McCarthy was the Red Devils most prolific tackler against the Rhinos racking up a total of 38 defensive efforts. This was six more than any other Salford player with Lama Tasi coming second with 32. Nine of these tackles came from marker which indicate back-to-back efforts from the Ireland international. This, again, was the highest of any Red Devil.
The 30-year-old made 12 carries amounting to a total of 72 metres against Leeds leaving him with an average gain of six metres. This was bested in the forwards by only Josh Jones and Ryan Lannon. McCarthy was also important with ball in hand completing 12 passes and jumping in at acting halfback on a few occasions.
Offloads
Josh Jones has returned to the Salford side in recent weeks after a short stint on the sidelines and is well-known for his offloading ability which was once again on show versus Leeds. Jones completed three offloads against the Rhinos with one leading to a half-break.
69' – TRY SALFORD! Another inch-perfect kick from Rob Lui is met by Josh Jones who slides over in front of the South Stand!
(36-16)#SLSalLee pic.twitter.com/qChkHwz2ZT
— Salford Red Devils ๐น (@SalfordDevils) July 27, 2018
However, it wasnโt just the back-rower racking up the offloads with halfback duo Rob Lui and Jackson Hastings also managed to get three offloads apiece away. Josh Wood made two offloads while Niall Evalds, Derrell Olpherts, Lee Mossop, Tyrone McCarthy and Mark Flanagan also notched an offload each.
Salford made 16 offloads overall compared to ten from Leeds.
Overall Stats
In his post-match press conference Ian Watson commented that โwhen we complete sets, we usually win gamesโ and that was evident this weekend with the Red Devils completing 81% of their sets in comparison with Leedsโ 64% completion rate. Salford had a total of 37 sets four more than Leeds but completed nine more than the visitors.
Salford spent almost three minutes more with ball in hand which totalled to 19 more play-the-balls than the Rhinos. However, Leeds actually made 23 quick play-the-balls compared to the Red Devils 14 but โ in the end โ it didnโt count for much.
Leeds conceded three more penalties than Salford who only has five given against them and the Red Devils made just eight errors compared to the visitors 13.
Ian Watson | “I think that resilience showed”
Head Coach Ian Watson was thrilled with the resilience his side displayed as they overcame Leeds Rhinos for just the third time in the Betfred Super League despite spending sixty minutes with twelve men.ย
Watson said: โThe boys have been goods all the way through the season theyโve always been on the same page alongside what the Club has been going through and the situations weโve faced but theyโve stayed really strong as a group.
โEven when weโve lost theyโve come in trying to improve and wanting to get better and I think that resilience showed when we went down to twelve men with how hard they worked for each other.
โWe just need to build on that now and take it forward.
โWhen we complete sets weโll cause any team issues and thatโs what we did. If you look at our games when we complete sets, we normally win games โ thatโs the key for us.โ
Watch Ian Watsonโs full post-match press conference below where he also discusses the impressive debut of Jackson Hastings, the imminent arrival of Joey Lussick and how he is expecting some players to return from injury for The Qualifiers.
Full video below:
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