There is no better time to find your form than before the testing Easter period, and with the added boost of a first win of the season at the seventh attempt, this was a fairly decent afternoon’s work for Hull KR and their new coach, James Webster, going into the cross-city derby with Hull FC on Friday.
The majority of the damage was done by Webster’s men in the first half. They led 30-6 at the interval and despite going desperately close to throwing that lead away midway through the second period, they just about held their nerve. It was by no means perfect, but a first Super League victory for nine months will raise confidence before the first Hull derby of 2016.
“I thought we took massive strides forward from last week,” Webster said. “We’ve had a disrupted week with injuries, but that was a good solid performance we can build on ahead of facing a hugely impressive Hull FC side.”
The Hull coach, Lee Radford, was in the stands during the first half, and he will have been troubled by what he saw as a Maurice Blair-inspired Rovers ran riot. By the time Radford left his seat the hosts were in complete control. Craig Kopczak had put Salford in front early on but after Blair’s leveller he played a telling role in tries for Iain Thornley, Graeme Horne, Ken Sio and James Greenwood – the last of which was arguably the try of the afternoon, finished by the forward after a marvellous break from the Hull KR full-back, Ben Cockayne.
Winning positions have been few and far between for KR this season so there were perhaps understandably some nerves after the interval as Salford mounted a fine comeback. A quick-fire double from the prop George Griffin and a brilliant finish from Greg Johnson made it 30-24, before the game’s pivotal moment. With Hull KR hanging on, a break from Niall Evalds could have been a fatal blow, but the young Salford fullback passed the wrong way, allowing the hosts to regather possession and close out the game.
“It was potentially the big moment of the game,” said the Salford coach, Ian Watson. “If we score that we’re back level but in all honesty, there were other things in the game which contributed to the result too – especially that first 40 minutes.”
That crucial play was punished when tries for Ryan Shaw and Matty Marsh, as well as a second penalty from the boot of Josh Mantellato, established a three-score lead that always looked commanding enough to ensure a first win of the season at long last, and get Webster up and running following defeat in his first game in charge last week at Huddersfield.
Hull KR Cockayne; Sio, Shaw, Thornley, Mantellato; Blair, Marsh; Walker, Lawler, Tilse, Clarkson, Horne, Allgood. Interchange Greenwood, Green, Boudebza, Mulhern. Tries Blair, Thornley, Horne, Sio, Greenwood, Shaw, Marsh. Goals Mantellato 8.
Salford Evalds; Carney, Sa’u, J Griffin, Johnson; O’Brien, Dobson; Kopczak, Lee, G Griffin, Murdoch-Masila, Jones, Lannon. Interchange Flanagan, Walne, Tomkins, Joseph.
Tries Kopczak 2, G Griffin 2, Johnson. Goals O’Brien 5.
Referee G Hewer. Attendance 6,593.
