It is difficult to justify this as any kind of success for Salford given what lies ahead, but on an afternoon when victory was required to keep their Super League survival hopes alive, it was job done for Ian Watson’s side if nothing else.
This victory does not guarantee safety. That will come with a win against Hull KR in the Million Pound Game on Saturday, when the side relegated to the Championship at the expense of Leigh Centurions will be decided, but this was a confidence‑boosting result for a side who have at times looked devoid of the capabilities required to get through the Qualifiers this year.
There is now even an argument that Salford are favourites to claim the 12th and final place in Super League for 2017 – although Watson stressed post-match that Hull KR are undoubtedly the favourites.
How the Robins pick themselves up after a narrow defeat against Huddersfield on Saturday will be fascinating, whereas Salford avoided a potential upset against Batley to deny the Bulldogs’ coach, John Kear, a fairytale finish before he moves to Wakefield as director of rugby in 2017.
In the end Salford won with ease, showing plenty of Super League credentials across the 80 minutes to move on to Saturday and the winner-takes-all showdown against Rovers, and denying London Broncos a chance at promotion in the process.
“It was a really professional performance,” Watson said. “We didn’t treat some of our other games with the respect they deserved but we were great today. There’s a lot to take into account when you come here but we handled it well.”
Salford’s attention now turns to Hull KR – but they do so without their director of rugby, Tim Sheens. The former Australia coach made it clear from the moment he was unveiled as the Hull KR coach for 2017 that if the two sides met in the Million Pound Game he would step aside. He will watch the game from afar as his now-former employers aim to consign his new club to the second tier. Watson said: “I don’t think it would be fair on Tim coming in this week ahead of such a big game.”
Batley will finish the Qualifiers in seventh place after just one win throughout the eight-week mini-league, but their success and hard work was done prior to the Super Eights.
They will receive around £500,000 more in funding from the Rugby Football League after finishing in the Championship’s top four and for a club who refuse to do anything other than live within their means, that should be the catalyst for a bright future, even without Kear.
“It’s been massive for us reaching the Qualifiers, they’ll make a better fist of it next year if they qualify too,” Kear said. “With Featherstone losing [at London], it means we’re the best part-time team in the country over a full season. I take great pride in that, it was a goal we set at the start of this.”
Salford scored six tries to Batley’s one to lead 34-4 at half-time and take a significant step towards the Million Pound Game. Tries from Gareth O’Brien and Junior Sa’u made it 12-0 early on, and although Batley hit back through the wing Wayne Reittie, that was all they could muster in the opening 40 minutes.
Greg Johnson, Josh Griffin and a brace from the forward Weller Hauraki established a 30-point lead at a the break which Batley never looked likely to overturn. The Bulldogs actually won the second half – something in which Kear took pride post-match – after Reittie’s second and Chris Ulugia narrowed the deficit. But Salford had the final say when O’Brien scored his second late on.
Batley Bulldogs Scott; Reittie, Smeaton, Ulugia, Ainscough; Southernwood, Brambani; Hirst, Leak, Rowe, Day, Bretherton, Blake. Interchange Walker, Lillycrop, Gledhill, Harrison.
Tries Reittie 2, Ulugia. Goal Brambani.
Salford Red Devils O’Brien; Johnson, Jones, Sa’u, J Griffin; Lui, Dobson; Burgess, Tomkins, G Griffin, Murdoch-Masila, Hauraki, Flanagan. Interchange Krasniqi, Walne, Kenny, Vidot.
Tries O’Brien 2, Sa’u, Hauraki 2, Johnson, J Griffin, Lui. Goals O’Brien 5.
Referee C Campbell. Attendance 1,520.
