Richard Marshall has highlighted two key issues his Salford side must fix up if they are to turn around their form in Super League.
The Red Devils produced perhaps their best performance of the season in the heartbreaking golden-point defeat against Castleford in the Challenge Cup, but a familiar failing left the former Halifax boss reassessing his approach.
Salford conceded a try within five minutes of the end of the first half in each of their first three fixtures of 2021, gave up a 39th-minute converted penalty in the league clash between the two sides a week earlier and allowed Peter Mata'utia to score as the hooter sounded on the weekend.
It's an issue that Marshall has identified and encouraged his side to fix up, along with another dip in concentration immediately after the restart.
"The other one is completing the first set of the second half, which we didn't do again," he said.
"I've got to take some responsibility there, obviously my messages aren't clear enough.
"We did okay, but we conceded a penalty before half-time last week and this was a try that really put them back in the hunt.
"But if we put that to one side, to get within 10 seconds of the end of the game and we're still fighting, I just really love that Salford never-say-die attitude."
The returning trio of Elijah Taylor, Dan Sarginson and Ryan Lannon impressed their coach on their first game back from respective injuries.
"The dynamic was slightly different with Elijah around the middle and Dan Sarginson. Pauli Pauli looked a threat at times as well, we've just got to get him up to game speed.
"Fortunately we've got a couple of lads who have been in and around the team who took their opportunity.
"I do want to get a bit of a settled team lineup, we've not been afforded that luxury just yet through one thing and another."
Sarginson slotted straight back into the side at fullback, where he played the opening two rounds of the season prior to injury, displacing Elliot Kear, while Morgan Escare's only appearances in the number one position have been in the previous round of the Challenge Cup against Widnes and the visit to his former side Catalans.
And the immediate reintroduction of Sarginson, who has played the bulk of his career at centre, at fullback can be taken as an indication that he is the club's first-choice in that position.
"Off the back of his pre-season and what he offers, yes," said Marshall. "But at the same time, he can play a number of positions within our team and at some point, other people will play in that fullback position, I'm sure."
