Jansin Turgut | “It was a really good team performance”

Salford Red Devils back-rower Jansin Turgut returned to Hull for the first time since joining the Red Devils and he says the side really pulled together to complete a memorable comeback victory at KCOM Craven Park.

On the victory…

It was a really good team performance. There were some outstanding efforts from the lads particularly in defence and then George Griffin did a full eighty minutes. I think we knew that going into half-time – even though we were behind – we knew we’d gifted them points by not completing our sets and giving them easy field position and then, ultimately, they scored on the back of that. We knew if we went out after half-time and got into a battle with them and a ‘set-for-set’ mentality then we would pull through the other side with the win.

On the momentum of the game…

I felt there was a point in the first half in which their middles had fatigued, and we had the chance to capitalise, but we didn’t take that opportunity and took our foot off the gas a little bit and enabled them to get back in it which saw them take the lead. In the second-half, we did have that momentum change which we definitely felt, and we tried to make that the turning point with a couple of repeat sets on their line before we scored.

On the final few minutes…

I was watching on the side-line for the final few minutes, but I was nervous for the lads but I’m always confident that we’ve got enough experience and talent throughout the squad to be able to see the game out and make the right decisions.

On the upcoming week…

It’s up to Ian Watson but we’ll recover and do some video analysis on this weekend’s game and ahead of next weekends. We’ll make sure our training is short and sharp this week focusing on ourselves and we’ll be aiming up going into the St Helens game on Thursday evening.
 
Tickets for our game against St Helens on Thursday 28th February are available to purchase from the The Salford Stadium Ticket Office, over the phone on 0161 786 1570 and online HERE.

Ian Watson | “We showed real character”

Salford Red Devils got back to winning ways with a brilliant 22-24 comeback victory over Hull Kingston Rovers and Head Coach Ian Watson was pleased with the character his side displayed.
He covered a number of subjects in his post-match press conference.

On the nature of the victory… 

It was really good for us as a team and as a group going forward. To be able to show that mentality after so many errors in the first half and to turn the tide like that shows real character within the team and emphasises how good our team spirit is.

On the half-time team talk…

It was 8-22 at half-time and when we came in at half time, I just felt like if we’d cut the errors out, we’d win the game and we needed to complete sets and put the pressure on Hull Kingston Rovers. In the first half we started well and were on the front foot with some of our attacks, but we kept compounding it with errors on our own try-line and giving them the opportunities to attack us. We just spoke at half time about tidying that area up as we were carrying the ball too loose and we were causing our own downfall but once we rectified that in the second half, we looked really good.

Any standout performers… 

George Griffin. He’s played eighty minutes in the middle and then at right back-row for us and that is a big ask to play in the middle for that amount of time. Then he moved into the back-row and made a real impact out there so we’ve got to give big credit to him.

On the half-backs…

There are more than Jackson Hastings in our team. Jackson has pulled off a great try-saving tackle in the second half on Joel Tomkins underneath the posts at a delicate time for us. Rob Lui was great, and he plays on the back of Jackson, but the pack has got to set the platform for you to go forward. If your pack doesn’t go forward your half-backs can’t do anything on the back of it so there are more than just one or two players, but Rob Lui was great.

On Joey Lussick… 

He was probably out there for a little bit too long in the first half and he started to fatigue but when he came back on, I thought he settled us down and got us back to our old processes.

On the importance of the victory…

I think it’s a big one this. I don’t think many teams will come to Hull Kingston Rovers and win. It’s a tough place to come despite us having a few decent wins at KCOM Craven Park but they are a good team and they’ve recruited really well, and they play a great style of football. For us to get two points here and come back in the fashion we did we have to give massive credit to the players, and it was a great game but was a little nervy towards the end.

On the start to the season…

It’s been a strong start for us, and it is exactly what we wanted. We’ve got St Helens, Catalans and Castleford in the coming weeks, so this win sets us up nicely going into these games.

On the short turnaround…

With us playing on Thursday night we’ll have to look after the players.
 
Tickets for our game against St Helens on Thursday 28th February are available to purchase from the The Salford Stadium Ticket Office, over the phone on 0161 786 1570 and online HERE.

Talking Points | Hull Kingston Rovers 22-24 Salford Red Devils

Salford Red Devils made it three wins from four in the 2019 Betfred Super League season with a remarkable comeback victory over Hull Kingston Rovers at KCOM Craven Park and it certainly threw up some interesting talking points.

Comeback

The biggest talking point from the win over Hull Kingston Rovers was, of course, the nature of it. Salford Red Devils found themselves 22-8 down at half-time only to go on and earn a memorable 22-24 victory at KCOM Craven Park.
There were many impressive facets to Salford’s comeback but the key to their success was a resilient and improved second half defensive display. The Red Devils managed to keep to Rovers at bay throughout the whole of the second half and this is now the third time this season that Salford have kept a side scoreless for a full forty minutes.


On the other hand, the Red Devils retention of the ball improved massively in the second half as Ian Watson’s men cut out the errors and were much more sensible with ball in hand. This paid dividend as the half went on with Salford getting more attacking opportunities and eventually taking the chances that came their way.
There was a stark contrast between the Salford team from the first half to the second half and Ian Watson will be looking to ensure it’s the side that went out for the second half who turn up on Thursday evening against St Helens.

George Griffin’s performance 

George Griffin moved up from the interchange bench to loose-forward for this weekend’s win over Hull Kingston Rovers and it was an inspired change from Head Coach Ian Watson as the 26-year-old put in a phenomenal 80-minute display.
The loose-forward, who moved into the back-row, was an absolute rock in defence making a massive 50 tackles against Hull Kingston Rovers, this was 18 more than any other Red Devil. Griffin also took 13 carries and was a constant thorn in the side of the Robins in both defence and attack.
Head Coach Ian Watson said: “For him to do eighty minutes like that and move to the right back-row and make an impact there like he did is a massive credit to him.

First games of the season

Along with Griffin moving into the starting line-up, Daniel Murray and Tyrone McCarthy were both named among the interchanges for the first this year and both forwards made strong openings to their 2019 Super League campaigns.
McCarthy has waited patiently for his first opportunity of 2019 to come and he certainly took it with both hands against his former club – Hull Kingston Rovers. McCarthy was solid in defence and certainly lifted the team on his entrance to the field.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BuPKj_unJGn/
Murray entered the field in the second half and immediately took it to the Hull Kingston Rovers forwards with some solid defence and strong ball carrying throughout. In fact, the 23-year-old took the carry leading up to both Derrell Olpherts’ and Ken Sio’s tries. Murray has continued to develop year-on-year with the Red Devils and that shows no signs of stopping in 2019.
Both Murray and McCarthy will be hoping their performances have put them in line for a position in the team for Thursday evening’s clash with St Helens at the The Salford Stadium.

Try-scoring exploits

Josh Jones was – once again – a standout performer for Salford and his he managed to power his way over in the first half for his third try in his last three games now crossing against London Broncos, Leeds Rhinos and Hull Kingston Rovers. This is the first time he has scored in three consecutive fixtures since 2013 during his time with St Helens.
Ken Sio pulled off a spectacular finish to help the Red Devils fight back and this was Sio’s fourth try in his first four outings for Salford. Despite not crossing last week, Sio has now found himself on the scoresheet against London Broncos, Hull Kingston Rovers and twice in Round One against Huddersfield Giants.

Derrell Olpherts’ try begun the comeback and this is Olpherts’ second try of the season after rounding off Salford’s opening win of the season against Huddersfield Giants earlier this month. With two tries this year, Olpherts has already matched his tally from the 2018 Betfred Super League season.
Finally, Joey Lussick has now scored in back-to-back games for Salford after also scooting over against Leeds Rhinos last weekend. Lussick also scored in similar fashion in last year’s Qualifiers meeting between the teams.
 
Tickets for our game against St Helens on Thursday 28th February are available to purchase from the The Salford Stadium Ticket Office, over the phone on 0161 786 1570 and online HERE.

Squad | Ian Watson makes one change to 19-man squad

Head Coach Ian Watson has made just one change to the 19-man squad as Salford Red Devils prepare for Saturday’s trip to KCOM Craven Park to face Hull Kingston Rovers.
Daniel Murray has entered the side and is in contention to make his first Betfred Super League appearance of 2019. Tyrone McCarthy will be looking to force his way into the starting side for the first time this year against one of his former clubs while Jake Bibby is also challenging for a spot in the team.
Ken Sio will make his first visit back to KCOM Craven Park since leaving Hull Kingston Rovers back in 2016.
Tickets for Saturday’s game against Hull Kingston Rovers are still available from the The Salford Stadium Ticket Office and over the phone on 0161 786 1570. You can also book coach travel for this fixture by visiting the The Salford Stadium Ticket Office and over the phone on 0161 786 1570. Salford Red Devils retain 25% of any early ticket purchase. To see ticket prices and coach pick-up times and points, click HERE.
The full squad is as follows:

Tickets for our Saturday trip to Hull Kingston Rovers are now on sale

Tickets and coach travel are now on sale for Salford Red Devils’ trip to KCOM Craven Park to take on Hull Kingston Rovers on Saturday 23rd February, 3pm kick-off.
You can purchase tickets for this Betfred Super League clash by visiting the The Salford Stadium Ticket Office or over the phone on 0161 786 1570. Watch the Red Devils in action against Hull Kingston Rovers!
Ticket prices for this fixture are as follows:
Adults: £22
Concession (Students, 65+): £16
Juniors (5-18): £12
Junior Swaps: FREE
Remember, if you purchase your ticket direct from the The Salford Stadium Ticket Office or on 0161 786 1570 in advance of gameday Salford Red Devils retain 25% of your purchase.
Coach travel is also available to book for Salford Red Devils supporters and can be done so at the The Salford Stadium Ticket Office or on 0161 786 1570. The coach is priced at £11.50 for Season Ticket holders and £16 for non-Season Ticket holders for all classes.
The coach pick-up points and times are as follows: 
Chandos Social Club: 11:10am
Royal Sovereign: 11:25am
Eccles Town Hall: 11:40am
Dog & Partridge: 11:50am
The Salford Stadium: 12:05pm.
Supporters are reminded to arrive at their pick-up points with plenty of time. Salford Red Devils retain 100% of your coach booking fee.
Tickets and coach travel for this fixture will be available to book following Sunday’s fixture against Leeds Rhinos at the The Salford Stadium Ticket Office.

Kingsland Drinks Try of the Month | August

It’s time for you to choose your Kingsland Drinks Try of the Month for August and there’s four to pick from following our massive Qualifiers victories over Hull Kingston Rovers and Widnes Vikings. 
Niall Evalds features twice in this month’s voting after he finished off flowing team moves in the trip to KCOM Craven Park and our last home outing against the Vikings.
Rob Lui’s ninety-metre interception was the standout moment of our 10-28 win over Hull Kingston Rovers and this has been selected as one of the four contenders.
Finally, Mark Flanagan’s late try which involved Jackson Hastings and Joey Lussick and sealed victory against Widnes is the last option for this month’s voting.
Head over to our Twitter page – @SalfordDevils – to submit your vote!
But first refresh your memory and watch all the tries below:

Welcome the Wolfpack! 
Tickets for our next home game against Toronto Wolfpack on Saturday 8th September are available to purchase at the Club Ticket Office, over the phone on 0161 786 1570 or SAVE MONEY by buying online, just CLICK HERE.

Willie Poching | “We’d like to thank them”

Salford Assistant Coach Willie Poching took time out in his post-match press conference to hail the travelling Red Devils supporters who were fantastic at Hull Kingston Rovers on Friday evening.
“I’d just like to thank our travelling fans.
“We only have three home games, so they’ve got a few more away games than others but thankfully we don’t have to travel abroad.
“The ones that came over, we’d just like to thank them on behalf of the team for the effort they made.
“They’re going to play a part in us being successful – if we are successful – in this campaign.”
The Red Devils are set to take on Widnes Vikings on Saturday 18th August at 3:15pm and fans can save money if they purchase their tickets online prior to the game.
Save £2 per ticket by simply clicking here!

Tyrone McCarthy | “There’s a great energy around the Club”

Salford Red Devils forward Tyrone McCarthy admits confidence has lifted at the Club in the past few weeks and the victory over his former side Hull Kingston Rovers will only further that.
McCarthy, sponsored by Arlec Property Services, said: “It was a huge result for us to start these Qualifiers.
“Obviously, we came to Hull KR a few weeks ago and got a number put on us so it was good to come and put things right.
“Wins are vital in this competition and it’s just about us securing our place in the Betfred Super League next season.
“I think after our last game against Leeds it’s just about building confidence and I think there’s a great energy around the Club at the minute with the new boys coming in.”
Watch Tyrone McCarthy’s full post-match interview with Salford Red Devils TV below:

Three Talking Points | Hull Kingston Rovers 10-28 Salford Red Devils

Following last night’s enthralling victory over Hull Kingston Rovers, we take a look at the three talking points in the aftermath of the game. 
Off to a flyer
Despite pummelling Leeds Rhinos 38-22 last time out, nobody underestimated the task ahead as the Red Devils made the long journey to Humberside.
Whilst many wrote Salford off prior to kick-off, Ian Watson’s men silenced their critics with a memorable performance at KCOM Craven Park.
It was crucial that Salford started their Qualifiers campaign with a bang and they certainly did so. The Red Devils dominated the tie throughout and scores from Niall Evalds, Robert Lui, debutant Joey Lussick and Josh Wood helped clinch a deserved 10-28 victory and spark euphoric scenes in both the stand and away dressing room.


Salford undoubtedly commenced their Qualifiers campaign in the best manner possible and now head into next week’s showdown with Widnes in full confidence after securing successive victories. The Vikings meanwhile will be looking to end their 17-game winless run after dramatically losing 20-21 at home to the London Broncos on Thursday evening.
Lussick stars on debut
Australian hooker Joey Lussick – who joined the club as a free agent two weeks ago following his release from Manly Sea Eagles – made his long awaited debut in Salford colours and the 22-year-old failed to disappoint.
Not only did the former Australian RU Schoolboy cross for a well-worked maiden try, but he performed impeccably throughout. The hooker linked up well with former Manly teammate Jackson Hastings and full-back Niall Evalds in attack, whilst also adding another dimension to plays with his devastating kicking game – a rare sight for a hooker.


If last night’s showing is anything to go by, Lussick could prove to be one of the club’s most impressive acquisitions in recent times.
New spine in fine form once again 
We’ve previously touched on the influence of recent arrival Jackson Hastings linking up with Robert Lui and Niall Evalds during his dazzling debut versus Leeds, but Lussick’s introduction at KCOM Craven Park yesterday really signalled that the final piece of the jigsaw had well and truly been unearthed.
Salford demonstrated an expansive style of Rugby throughout and executed a series of quick combinations between the foursome. This newly found attacking flair has ran parallel to the arrivals of Hastings and Lussick and has seriously enhanced the Red Devils’ spine.
Hastings in particular has extracted heaps of pressure from the shoulders of Lui and has allowed the fifth-eighth to play his natural game. 28-year-old Lui was voted Man of the Match following the triumph over Leeds and excelled once again versus the Robins. Salford’s ‘star man’ provided a moment of brilliance in the 55th minute after latching onto a wayward pass from Chris Atking, before racing ninety-metres to cross for a stunning individual try.


Alongside Lui, Hastings and Lussick have also aided full-back Evalds’ game. 24-year-old Evalds suffered a broken leg in May, but after returning from a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Salford’s marquee signings have linked up remarkably well with the former Salford academy graduate. Hastings produced an exquisite dummy to send Evalds over for the first of two tries versus the Rhinos a fortnight ago and Evalds continued his good run of form at Hull KR.
After Mark Flanagan picked up a short ball from Josh Wood, the experienced forward pierced his way through the Rovers backline before releasing the onrushing Evalds who slid over the whitewash to grab his third try in two games.

Willie Poching | “Lot of resilience and character”

Following an important victory over Hull Kingston Rovers in the Red Devils opening qualifiers fixture, Assistant Coach Willie Poching feels this will have an impact on his sides confidence.
“It’s been a little while since we’ve won on the bounce – two in a row – so we’re pretty pleased with the start to the Super 8s campaign for us.
“If you’ve been involved in this competition before you understand the importance of trying to get the wins but trying to get them early, so we can’t understate the importance of this win.
“As well as being in the position that we are with only having three home games to pick up an away victory is a big bonus for us. It puts us in a good position confidence wise.
“The guys showed a lot of resilience and character tonight.”
Watch Willie Poching’s full post-match press conference below:

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