Two defeats in their first two Super League games is not necessarily a cause for panic but there can be little doubting that the manner of Salford’s thrashing at the hands of the champions, St Helens, will have caused much concern in the mind of the club’s owner, Marwan Koukash.
The eccentric and lively racehorse owner has invested heavily in attempting to make Salford powerhouses in the Super League over the past two years. And while their loss at Warrington last week left room for hope, this defeat summed up just how far from the leading pack Salford are. Their limp and lifeless attack was bad enough but St Helens warmed up for the World Club Challenge on 22 February with some dazzling attacking plays that left the hapless Salford defence in tatters.
“There was a complete lack of composure in everything we did, particularly in defence,” said the Salford coach, Iestyn Harris. “We’ve never done that and we’ve got to fix that up. The attitude was all wrong and it’s something we need to fix up.”
As bad as Salford were, Saints were simply sensational. The NRL champions South Sydney Rabbitohs will have watched the performance and been left uneasy before the blockbuster clash; this was the Super League champions at their obliterating best.
Even without their star half-back Luke Walsh, St Helens have now won their opening two games in the defence of their title and have looked as defensively mean as they have attackingly sublime, a rare and exciting tonic so early in a season.
“It was great how we played,” said Keiron Cunningham, the St Helens coach. “The middles were outstanding and the team were sensational. I’m proud of my players, they hung in really well and the only points Salford scored was from a kick, so that’s another big pleasing aspect.”
The visitors were ruthless in possession and the first of four tries in a productive half led to the centre Mark Percival shrugging off some tame defending from Mason Caton-Brown to cross. That timid tackling was a sign of things to come.
After tries from Jordan Turner and the impressive Joe Greenwood made the score 14-0, Salford briefly restored hope when Ben Jones-Bishop raced home from 70 metres for his third try in two games – but that was as good as it got.
Tries either side of the break from Luke Thompson and Tommy Makinson effectively confirmed the result after 41 minutes before Jones-Bishop inexplicably failed to take a Jon Wilkin kick and Percival touched down for his second.
Further scores from Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Greenwood and a second for Turner added gloss. There was still time for the 50, too, as Andre Savelio scored Saints’ 10th try of the night to complete Salford’s the misery.
Salford Locke, Jones-Bishop, Griffin, Caton-Brown, Johnson, Chase, Dobson, Taylor, Lee, Hock, Hansen, J Walne, Paterson. Interchange Fages, Griffin, Tasi, A Walne.
Tries Jones-Bishop. Goals Dobson Sin-bin Hock.
St Helens Lomax, Makinson, Percival, Turner, Swift, Burns, Wilkin, Amor, Roby, Masoe, Greenwood, Vea, Flanagan. Interchange Walmsley, Savelio, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Thompson.
Tries Percival 2, Turner 2, Greenwood 2, Thompson, Makinson, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Savelio. Goals Percival 6.
Referee B Thaler.
Attendance 4,975
