Salford Red Devils 22 Leeds Rhinos 16

A disappointing second half saw Leeds Rhinos lose out to Salford Red Devils 22-16  at The Salford Stadium, after the visitors had led 16-6 at the break.

A quick start saw the Rhinos score three times in the opening 25 minutes through Matt Frawley, Alfie Edgell and Brodie Croft, but a fightback from the Red Devils in the second half saw them take home the league points.

Brad Arthur made one change to the side that beat Huddersfield last time out as Justin Sangare returned from a knee injury to replace Sam Eseh Jr in the lineup. Eseh Jr was recalled to Wigan after five games with the Rhinos, giving the French international Sangare a chance to move straight into the starting pack. The remainder of the starting 13 and substitutes remained the same.

Nothing could split the sides among the pundits coming into the contest, and the first half delivered plenty of action, which included five tries, four goals and two yellow cards.

Leeds got lucky early on as Tim Lafai was sent to the sin bin for dangerous contact with Lachie Miller after the full back took Marc Sneyd’s fifth tackle kick. Quickly spotting an opportunity to set the tempo for the afternoon, a half break by Andy Ackers put the Red Devils on alert, but Matt Frawley struck as the half back dummied his way through the Salford line to score his fifth try of the season.

Salford were handed an opportunity to hit back off a knock on by Mikolaj Oledzki, but former Leeds player Kallum Watkins wasn’t able to hold onto a flat pass at the line. The chance was punished by Leeds at the other end of the field though; Brodie Croft and Paul Momirovski combined for the centre to break free into the back-field and Alfie Edgell was there in support to score his first senior try for the club. Rhyse Martin added the conversion to make the score 12-0 as the Rhinos made a fast start.

As the Red Devils got back up to 13 players, Leeds found themselves with a man in the sin bin as Rhyse Martin was shown a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Jayden Nikorima. Just like the Rhinos, Salford thought they had their first points of the afternoon off the back of the sin binning, only for Watkins’ pass for Nene Macdonald to be called forward by the referee. With 20 minutes gone, the Red Devils attack finally came into its own as Oliver Partington posted Watkins through the line for the home side’s opening score.

Unfazed by the try, Leeds' lead moved to 10 points, courtesy of two former Red Devil. A set play saw Croft and Ackers exchange passes to put Miller clear through the Salford defence, and Croft made sure he was following up in support to outpace Ryan Brierley and score in the corner.

A pendulum half continued to swing as the Red Devils dominated the last ten minutes with a smattering of chances. After coming up inches short through Sneyd as the Leeds defence rallied, Salford took advantage of a penalty for a high shot on Joe Mellor as they sent the ball through the hands for Watkins to grab his second of the game. Sneyd converted from in front of the posts to close the score to 16-12.

Even with the clock counting down, Macdonald bombed two chances that would have put the Red Devils level at the break. The centre was first called offside as Leeds allowed Sneyd’s high kick to bounce, before finally making his way over the try line, only for the video referee to rule to try out for a double movement as Leeds took a 16-12 lead into the break.

Early pressure on the Rhinos straight out of the gates in the second half saw Salford push for an early try after a knock on by Ash Handley, but Momirovski was up to the challenge of Brierley’s kick to bring the ball away. Waves of Red Devils attacks kept coming as backs Deon Cross and Tim Lafai brought the ball from their own half to within scoring range, but again Leeds were up to the challenge as Watkins was stopped short of the line by Martin in a crucial try saving effort.

The Rhinos provided a response as Momirovski picked off Mellor’s pass to race downfield, only to be pulled up short by the chasing Salford defenders. 14 minutes into the half, the Red Devils were rewarded for their second half performance as Nikorima and Mellor combined for Mellor to square up the score, before Sneyd added the extras to give the home side an 18-16 lead.

Having endured most of the half without much attacking ball, the visitors were handed opportunities close to the hour mark with back-to-back sets on the Salford line, but nothing could be created as Martin’s last tackle kick was eventually swallowed up by Brierley. Back-to-back high tackles on the next set helped the Red Devils downfield again, and this time Sneyd opted to kick the penalty goal to stretch the Salford led to four points with 18 minutes remaining.

Leeds continued to fight, but took a blow when Bentley was shown a yellow card for high shot on Joe Shorrocks, and Sneyd once again added his second penalty goal of the afternoon to stretch the lead further.

An inspired break from Jarrod O’Connor inside the last ten minutes could have seen Croft get over for his second try, only to come up short. As the Rhinos applied pressure on the try line, they couldn’t make the possession count as Frawley and Croft juggled the ball and Salford survived.

Down at the other end of the field, Shorrocks and Sneyd both missed drop goal opportunities for the Red Devils, but as the full time hooter sounded, it was too late for the Rhinos as they conceded a 22-16 defeat.

Red Devils

1. Ryan Brierley, 2. Ethan Ryan, 3. Nene Macdonald, 4. Tim Lafai, 5. Deon Cross, 32. Jayden Nikorima, 7. Marc Sneyd, 8. Brad Singleton, 16. Joe Shorrocks, 29. Loghan Lewis, 11. Sam Stone, 12. Kallum Watkins (C), 13. Oliver Partington

Subs: 15. Shane Wright, 23. Chris Hankinson, 24. Joe Mellor, 31. Joe Bullock (18^th Man – 28. Harvey Wilson)

Tries: Watkins (20,33), Mellor (54)

Goals: Sneyd 5/5

Sin bin: Lafai (3) – contact with the head

Rhinos

1. Lachie Miller, 29. Alfie Edgell, 4. Paul Momirovski, 3. Harry Newman, 5. Ash Handley, 6. Brodie Croft, 7. Matt Frawley, 8. Mikolaj Oledzki, 9. Andy Ackers, 17. Justin Sangare, 16. James McDonnell, 12. Rhyse Martin, 13. Cameron Smith (C)

Subs: 14. Jarrod O’Connor, 15. Sam Lisone, 25. James Donaldson, 11. James Bentley (18^th Man – 18. Mickael Goudemand)

Tries:  Frawley (3), Edgell (8), Croft (23)

Goals: Martin 2/2, Miller 0/1

Sin bin: Martin (14) – dangerous tackle, Bentley (65) – dangerous high tackle