Salford Red Devils secured their position in the 2019 Betfred Super League following a clinical second half performance against Million Pound Game hopefuls Toulouse Olympique.
The Red Devils crossed for three tries inside seven minutes in the second half to pull away from the French side in the second half. Greg Johnson, Niall Evalds and Derrell Olpherts scored the quickfire tries before Kris Welham and Tyrone McCarthy also crossed in the closing stages.
Toulouse managed to close the deficit to just four points at one point with tries from Chris Centrone and Stan Robin either side of half-time. Australian duo Jackson Hastings and Joey Lussick had opened the scoring for Salford beforehand.
It was a cagey opening at the The Salford Stadium, but it was a returning Hastings – just fifteen minutes in – who jinked his way through the Toulouse defence to open the scoring. The halfback was the victim of a spear tackle in the process of scoring with referee Ben Thaler awarding an eight-point try. Hastings converted both attempts at goal.
The Red Devils gained control in midway through the first half when Lussick burrowed over the line from acting halfback. Hastings hit the upright with the conversion but did notch a penalty goal shortly after. Toulouse did give themselves a chance just before the break as Centrone scored in the corner following a brilliant offload from Bastien Ader.
Salford started the second half slowly conceding a goal line drop-out from the kick-off before Robin got on the end of a low kick to score just two minutes in. Mark Kheirallah’s successful conversion narrowed the Red Devils lead to four points.
Lussick looked to be over for his second of the game but video referee Chris Kendall ruled it out. However, a penalty was awarded to the Red Devils and Hastings furthered Salford’s lead marginally.
But, Ian Watson’s men managed to take control with three tries inside seven minutes. Johnson was the first to go over on the hour-mark. Evalds and Rob Lui linked up with some quick hands which created the opening for the winger who crossed for his third try in two games. Hastings converted.
Evalds would go from provider to try-scorer when Lui hit the onrushing England Knight on an inside ball and the talismanic fullback rounded Kheirallah to score. Olpherts scored the third in quick succession after Josh Jones knocked down a high kick, Hastings threw the ball wide to the winger to score. Hastings converted both.
With five minutes remaining, Welham managed to reach over the line to continue the Salford dominance. Luke Burgess – who was featuring in his last-ever game – stepped up to convert and slotted it over from the touch line in sensational fashion. McCarthy would cross in the final moments, but Burgess’ second attempt came back of the post.
Salford: Evalds, Johnson, Bibby, Welham, Olpherts; Lui, Hastings; Mossop, Lussick, Burgess, Jones, McCarthy, Flanagan. Interchanges: Kopczak, Burke, Griffin, Lannon.
Toulouse: Kheirallah, Marcon, Marguerite, Ader, Centrone; Ford, Robin; Bretherton, Barthau, Puech, Mika, Curran, Marion. Interchanges: Kriouache, Boyer, Hepi, Planas.
Salford Tries: Hastings (14’), Lussick (26’), Johnson (60’), Evalds (64’), Olpherts (66’), Welham (75’), McCarthy (78’). Salford Conversions: Hastings (15’, 16’, 34’, 55’, 61’, 65’, 67’), Burgess (76’).
Toulouse Tries: Centrone (36’), Robin (42’). Toulouse Conversions: Kheirallah (43’).
Referee: Ben Thaler.
Touch Judges: Tom Grant & Greg Dolan.
Video Referee: Chris Kendall.
Tag: The Qualifiers
2019 Season Tickets | On sale this evening
Salford Red Devils can confirm that 2019 Season Tickets will be on sale following tonight’s game against Toulouse Olympique and for a limited period before the game.
You can purchase your 2019 Season Ticket before the evening’s game up until 6pm from the The Salford Stadium Ticket Office. Remember, you can purchase in one payment or sign-up for our Direct Debit payment scheme over ten months.
The Ticket Office will be open following the game for supporters to secure their place at the The Salford Stadium for the 2019 season. Or, purchase now online HERE!
The prices for 2019 Season Tickets are as follows:
Want to know more about your 2019 Season Tickets? Check out our FAQ’s HERE!
Match Report | London Broncos 11-8 Salford Red Devils
Salford fell to a disappointing 11-8 defeat to London Broncos at Ealing Trailfinders which means the Red Devils’ Super League status for 2019 remains unconfirmed.
London’s Jay Pitts grabbed the only try of the first half alongside a conversion, penalty goal and drop-goal from Jarrod Sammut. Winger Greg Johnson went over twice in the second half however missed conversions alongside another Sammut penalty consigned Salford to defeat.
Both sides had chances in the early stages with Rob Lui almost crossing for Salford while Kieran Dixon was hauled down by Johnson in the early stages. The affair was destined to be a close one from the outset with Sammut all too aware of this as he notched a penalty goal on the ten-minute mark.
It was just three minutes later when the Broncos furthered their lead. Fellow halfback Pitts looked to be tackled upright just short of the line but managed to fight his way free to open the try-scoring for the afternoon. Sammut converted.
Referee Scott Mikalauskas was penalising both sides at a frequent rate in the opening twenty minutes leading to the hosts being handed a team warning. Just two tackles later forward Eddie Battye would strip the ball from Ryan Lannon and be sent to the sin-bin for ten minutes.
However, the Red Devils couldn’t capitalise with the extra man. Watson’s side put the ball to ground each time they were on the Broncos line. In fact, it was London who scored in this period when Sammut broke free following an interception and crossed in the corner however referee Mikalauskas pulled play back for an offside.
Sammut – who was central to the Broncos’ performance – kicked a drop-goal with five minutes of the first half remaining to extend their lead.
Things picked up marginally for the Red Devils in the first half with Jansin Turgut causing issues following his arrival while some cracks began to appear in the Broncos defence out wide.
Salford managed to get themselves on the scoresheet just prior to the hour-mark as a flowing move wide involving Mark Flanagan, Jack Littlejohn and Kris Welham eventually found Johnson who finished in the corner. Joey Lussick – in absence of Ed Chamberlain who was off the field with a head injury – took the shot at goal but his effort went wide.
The Red Devils continued to push forward, and they had moments of joy down the left-hand flank and a few close calls down the middle as Turgut went through the line but was pulled back for a forward pass from halfback Lui.
However, with five minutes remaining, Sammut notched another penalty goal which extended London’s lead to seven points. Johnson – in almost identical fashion to his first – would score a second of the game with ninety seconds left on the clock. Chamberlain couldn’t add the extras and time got the better of the Red Devils.
London: Walker, Dixon, Hellewell, Kear, Williams; Pitts, Sammut; Evans, Davis, Ioane, Gee, Hindmarsh-Takyi, Battye. Interchanges: Spencer, Butler, Adebiyi, Pelissier.
Salford: Evalds, Johnson, Welham, Chamberlain, Bibby; Lui, Littlejohn; Burke, Lussick, Burgess, Jones, McCarthy, Lannon. Interchanges: Flanagan, Nakubuwai, Kopczak, Turgut.
London Tries: Pitts (13’). London Conversions: Sammut (10’, 14’, 75’). London Drop-Goals: Sammut (34’).
Salford Tries: Johnson (57’, 77’). Salford Conversions: N/A.
Referee: Scott Mikalauskas.
Ian Watson | “We must focus on what we do well”
It has become more than apparent that as the individual rounds of the Qualifiers have unfolded the performances by this weekend’s opponents, London Broncos, have earmarked them as the surprise package of the tournament and they are a team Head Coach Ian Watson is very impressed by, also.
Watson said: “They have a really good attitude and are a real credit to coaches, Danny Ward and Jamie Langley. They are both up for the Championship’s Coach of the Year award which shows what a great down they’ve done.
“When former coach Andrew Henderson left to join Warrington a number of players also moved on and it was widely expected the team would struggle this season, but they have improved on last season finishing second and are up for the Championship’s Team of the Year.
“They never give up and just keep grinding away, even when they have fallen twenty points behind.”
London Broncos caused an upset in the opening game of The Qualifiers when they knocked off Betfred Super League outfit Widnes Vikings thanks to a late Jarrod Sammut drop-goal and Watson knows the threat the maverick halfback poses.
Watson said: “That is exactly his style of play and you just have to expect anything from him when he gets the ball. Alongside that though, the really noticeable thing is they stick to their processes and game plans extremely well and even Jarrod has bought into that too.
“All the players and backroom staff have stuck together to turn all the negative predictions on their head, and for me, they have the potential to be even more dangerous than either Toronto or Toulouse. They have been in contention in every game they have played.
“Both Toronto and Leeds felt that they had put themselves in commanding positions, but London came back at them and put them under real pressure, not only on the field but also on the scoreboard. They absolutely blew Toulouse away, and beat Super League opponents Widnes on the road.
“This game could be a real banana skin for us so we absolutely have to get our preparations right and then focus on what we do well.”
Jackson Hastings will serve the second of a two-game ban this weekend while Josh Wood – who occupied the role last week at the Emerald Headingley Stadium – is now suffering with an injury however Watson will welcome back another halfback option this weekend.
Watson said: “I thought all the boys who played did really well at Leeds. They knew they would have to do it tough, but they really stuck with all their processes and showed belief in them.
“Josh Wood, until his injury, did a really good job, in place of Jackson, while Rob Lui played particularly well and managed the game impeccably throughout along with Joey Lussick.
“Jack Littlejohn wasn’t quite ready last week and there was no point in taking risks at that stage of his recovery, but the extra week has been good for him and he is now fully fit and looking forward to the game on Saturday.”
🗣️ "I'm looking forward to seeing Jack Littlejohn back in action."
📽️ Salford Red Devils Head Coach Ian Watson is expecting the returning halfback to make an impact this weekend at @LondonBroncosRL.
👉 You can read Ian Watson's thoughts later this evening. pic.twitter.com/FA5YVHTkEJ
— Salford Red Devils 👹 (@SalfordDevils) September 20, 2018
It has been a difficult week off the field with a late rearrangement of Saturday’s fixture and the team are not impervious to these events in terms of preparation.
“It has affected things like being able to book hotels and coaches,” Watson said.
He added: “This has been a bit of nightmare because on a Saturday there is competition from football and rugby union, who have already got in first, so you end up having to adapt all your plans around what is left to you.
“We certainly couldn’t so without the money Sky Sports put in though so we just have to take the rough with the smooth.
“As far as playing is concerned, our training schedule is pretty well set, and we have a great backroom staff who are able to adjust things and minimise the effects on the players, but they also know that having to be flexible is part of being a professional.”
Tickets | Available for our trip to London Broncos
Tickets are now available to purchase for our trip to London Broncos on Saturday 22nd September, 3:00pm kick-off.
You can now purchase your ticket from the The Salford Stadium Ticket Office or over the phone on 0161 786 1570. Remember, Salford Red Devils retain 25% of any early purchase from the The Salford Stadium.
Tickets will remain available from the The Salford Stadium and over the phone up until 3pm on Friday 21st September.
Ticket prices can be seen below:
Adult: £20.
Concessions (60+, Students, Armed Forces): £15.
Under 16s: FREE but need to get a ticket.
Coach travel is also available to London Broncos however there will be no pick-up from the The Salford Stadium due to Sale Sharks playing at the The Salford Stadium on Saturday 22nd September.
The final pick-up point will be the Dog & Partridge pub in Eccles for Friday’s coach service. If any fans who usually get picked up from the The Salford Stadium would like details on how to get to another pick-up point for Friday’s game, please contact the club and we’ll advise.
Please remember that Salford Red Devils retain 100% of all the coach booking fees with the The Salford Stadium overseeing the ticketing. The coach is priced at £30 for all classes.
The coach pick-up points, times and addresses can be seen below:
Chandos Social Club, Chandos Grove, Salford M5 5LJ: 8:35am.
Royal Sovereign, 226 Eccles Old Road, Salford, Manchester M6 8AG: 8:45am.
Eccles Town Hall, Church Street, Eccles, Manchester M30 0LH: 9:00am.
Dog and Partridge, 221 Church St, Eccles, Salford M30 0LY: 9:10am.
If there are any queries regarding the coach travel contact enquiries@salfordreddevils.net or 0161 786 1590. Please arrive at your pick-up point with plenty of time.
Fixture | London game moved to Saturday
Salford Red Devils can confirm that our fixture against London Broncos will now be played on Saturday 22nd September, 3pm kick-off.
Tickets and coach details will be confirmed in due course. Sorry for any inconvenience.
Ian Watson | “We are going there to win”
Salford Red Devils are heading to the Emerald Headingley Stadium looking to maintain their 100% record in The Qualifiers however Ian Watson’s men will need to earn just their second victory at Leeds in the Super League era if they are to do so.
Watson said: “We have spoken together, as a group, that our attitude must be to go there and get the win by attacking Leeds, backing this up with solid defence, and playing throughout with the utmost confidence.”
“We haven’t been short in victories over them at the The Salford Stadium particularly in the past couple of seasons, and although previous Salford teams might have found it hard-going, when they have travelled over there we now have players in our ranks who have won there with other teams and know exactly how it is done.
“It will certainly be a good motivating factor to be one of the few Salford teams to go there and get the win. We need to be going there to get the two points we require which would then put the pressure on all the teams around us.
“Our win over them in the last fixture of the regular season will, nevertheless, be a considerably motivating factor for Leeds.”
Jackson Hastings – who debuted in instrumental fashion against Leeds earlier in the season – will miss the game through suspension but there are other halfbacks available to the Head Coach.
Watson said: “We do have a number of options any of which will cover Jackson’s absence. Jack Littlejohn has timed his recovery from injury to perfection and he held that role for most of the season prior to his injury. Josh Wood has filled in at halfback on occasions over recent weeks. I’d have full confidence in either of those two to step up and do a good job for us.
“We are a different team now from how we were earlier in the season, and we also have an additional hooker who can kick and has good organisational skills to go alongside those of whoever comes into the halves, to take the pressure of Rob Lui. It will be a good opportunity for us to show just how far we have progressed as a team.
“What Jackson has brought to us is that he leads by his enthusiasm. His kicking into the corners and then following through to make the first is great encouragement to the boys to get up there with him. He also generates that same enthusiasm in defence.
“It was his high level of competitiveness that was the cause of the incident with Gareth O’Brien, at the end of the match with Toronto. Circumstances just seemed to combine to bring about that outcome with the closed fist and contact with the head but I believe it was more carelessness than anything else.”
Tickets | Leeds Rhinos ticket period extended
Tickets are available for Friday’s trip to Leeds Rhinos from the Club Ticket Office and over the phone as the Red Devils look to make it four wins from four in The Qualifiers up until 3pm on Friday 14th September.
Prices will rise on gameday by £2 so purchase from the The Salford Stadium in advance to save money. Remember, Salford Red Devils retain 25% of any purchases made in advance from the The Salford Stadium Ticket Office.
Junior Swaps will be available for the game however fans must swap at the The Salford Stadium Ticket Office in advance as swaps will not be done at the Emerald Headingley Stadium. Salford Red Devils fans will be located in the Western Terrace.
Ticket prices are as follows:
Adults: £20.
Concessions (65+, Full-time students, Under 21, ambulant disabled): £13.
Juniors (16 and under): £10.
Carers: Free.
Junior Season Ticket Holders: Junior Swaps at The Salford Stadium Ticket Office.
Under 5’s: Do not need a ticket.
There is also a Supporters’ Coach available for fans wanting to make the trip to Emerald Headingley Stadium on Friday 14th September.
The coach is priced at £11 for all classes and Salford Red Devils retain 100% of all coach booking fees with the The Salford Stadium operating the ticketing process for the Supporters’ Coach.
The pick-up points and times can be seen below:
Chandos: 4:40pm.
Royal Sovereign: 4:50pm.
Eccles Town Hall: 5:05pm.
Dog & Partridge: 5:10pm.
The Salford Stadium: 5:30pm.
Please arrive at your pick-up point with plenty of time.
For any enquiries regarding ticketing for our trip to Leeds please contact us on 0161 785 1570 or E-Mail enquiries@salfordreddevils.net.
Disciplinary | Luke Burgess and Jackson Hastings suspended
Salford Red Devils can confirm that Luke Burgess and Jackson Hastings have both received suspensions following red cards in Saturday’s victory over Toronto Wolfpack.
Burgess was sent from the field following a high tackle in the 53rd minute and has been handed a one-match suspension meaning he will miss Friday’s game against Leeds Rhinos.
Hastings who received a red card after a high tackle on Gareth O’Brien in the final minute has been given a two-game suspension meaning he will miss Friday’s trip to Leeds Rhinos and the forthcoming fixture with London Broncos.
Match Report | Salford Red Devils 28-16 Toronto Wolfpack
Salford Red Devils made it four wins from four in The Qualifiers despite being reduced to twelve men for a large period – and eleven in the final minute – in a heated affair against Canadian side Toronto Wolfpack at the The Salford Stadium.
Ian Watson’s men ran into a 20-0 lead before half-time with Ed Chamberlain, Rob Lui and Jackson Hastings all scoring with the second score coming while Red Devils prop-forward Lama Tasi was in the sin-bin.
Toronto tried to mount a comeback in the second half with Adam Sidlow, Matty Russell and Andy Ackers all crossing in quick succession but a neat try from Ryan Lannon and two goals from Chamberlain were enough to see off the Wolfpack. Luke Burgess and Jackson Hastings were both sent from the field for high tackles while Chase Stanley did ten minutes in the sin-bin for a spear tackle.
It took just six minutes for Salford to open the scoring with Chamberlain going over in the corner. Lui and Niall Evalds linked up well before finding the former Widnes winger who finished well. Chamberlain also followed up with the conversion.
Evalds looked to have scored himself a few minutes later however video referee James Child chalked it off for an obstruction. While the Red Devils were on top in the early stages this almost changed in the 14th minute as Tasi was sent to the sin-bin following a high tackle on former Salford man O’Brien.
But, Salford didn’t relent and Lui – who has been in terrific form since The Qualifiers began – barged his way over from close-range. Chamberlain extended the lead from the touchline before slotting over a penalty seven minutes later to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
With five minutes of the first half remaining, Salford scored a spectacular effort to further their lead. Evalds hit an inside ball and made a half-break before Lui shipped it out wide to Kris Welham. The centre raced sixty metres before some quick hands inside from Lui, Evalds and George Griffin put Hastings under the posts. Chamberlain maintained his 100% record with the boot.
While Ian Watson’s men went into half-time with a comfortable lead, Toronto fought back in the second half. Former Salford forward Sidlow powered his way over before O’Brien converted.
Former Warrington winger Russell would score shortly after as he used his pace to latch on to a low kick to the corner. O’Brien failed to convert meaning there was ten points between the sides, but the job got harder for Salford as Burgess was soon red carded for a high tackle.
The Wolfpack took advantage as Ackers snuck over from close-range. O’Brien’s conversion brought the difference down to just four points. But, it wasn’t long until Toronto also received a card as Stanley was sent for ten minutes following a spear tackle which saw Junior Sa’u finish on his head.
And, Salford immediately punished the visitors as Lannon managed to jink and force his way over the line in front of a raucous South Stand. Chamberlain’s conversion restored the hosts ten-point lead.
Tension was high heading into the final fifteen minutes, but Salford dug deep and with five minutes remaining Chamberlain notched a stunning 45-yard penalty goal which moved the Red Devils further in front meaning Toronto needed two converted tries to draw level.
With the final play of the game, Hastings – who did miss a drop-goal attempt – would see red following a late shot on O’Brien as he took a high kick. However, the Red Devils moved to eight points in The Qualifiers despite finishing the game with eleven men.
Salford: Evalds, Chamberlain, Welham, Sa’u, Bibby; Lui, Hastings; Tasi, Wood, Burgess, Jones, Griffin, Lannon. Interchanges: Kopczak, Lussick, Flanagan, Burke.
Toronto: O’Brien, Russell, Stanley, Caton-Brown; McCrone, Wallace; Lussick, Beswick, Sims, Dixon, Paterson, Buchanan. Interchanges: Ackers, Sidlow, Krasniqi, Emmitt.
Salford Tries: Chamberlain (6’), Lui (16), Hastings (35’), Lannon (62’). Salford Goals: Chamberlain (7’, 17’, 24’, 36’ 63’, 74’).
Salford Sin-Bins: Tasi (14’). Salford Red Cards: Burgess (53’), Hastings (80’).
Toronto Tries: Sidlow (47’), Russell (50’), Ackers (57). Toronto Goals: O’Brien (48’, 58).
Toronto Sin-Bins: Stanley (60’).
Referee: Robert Hicks.
Video Referee: James Child.
Attendance: 2509.
