A Saturday evening shoot out in Salford saw the Red Devils and Catalans Dragons lock horns for what was, essentially, a decider for the top six and a play-off spot as both sides started the game outside the six but in the knowledge that a win for Salford would lift them into fourth while a Dragons victory would put them into seventh behind the Rhinos on points difference only.
Sam Tomkins was back on the bench for the Dragons who are in free fall in recent weeks and who were the underdogs with the bookies against a Salford side who had only won once in their last four outings after a great season which had seen them a permanent fixture in the top six.
One side would be very disappointed at the end of the eighty minutes.
The Dragons got off to the best of starts on six minutes when good early pressure resulted in a penalty which Arthur Mourgue put between the uprights. Fast hands saw Jayden Nikorima take an insode pass and sprint under the sticks for the try to put the home side ahead.
A Mark Sneyd kick on the last from inside his own half caused confusion in the Dragons defence as two players went for the save ball, both spilling it back into the possession of the Red Devils. Sneyd added the extras for 6-2.
Never say die from the Dragons on nineteen saw them back level as Theo Fages released the ball in the tackle to a supporting Mourgue who dragged the Salford tackler over the line with him to score. He failed to add the conversion, the sides locked in at 6-6 on the quarter game mark.
Seventeen minutes of stalemate ended on thirty-seven when Joe Mellor scooted from acting half back, showed an outrageous dummy and dotted down under the sticks to make the Sneyd conversion a formality for a 12-6 half time lead.
Seven minutes after the restart the Red Devils put themselves into a twelve-point lead when Sneyd and Ryan Brierley combined to put Tim Lafai through the smallest of gaps to score from ten metres out. Sneyd was again on target for 18-6, the Dragons on the ropes.
On fifty-two Sneyd kicked a thirty-five-metre penalty after the Dragons were punished for pushing at their own play the ball. Three minutes latera play from the back of the scrum allowed Deon Cross to take a delightful flick pass and go down the wing to dot down in the corner. Sneyd hit the target from the touchline for 26-6, the Dragons well beaten.
On the hour mark there was some consolation for the Bayley Dragons as Sironen took a short pass from Sam Tomkins to run twenty metres unopposed and dot down under the sticks, Mourge adding the extras.
He final scoring action of the game came with just over a minute remaining as Sneyd kicked a forty metre drop goal for a final score of 27-12 and a critical win the race for the six.
Salford are up to fourth in the table as they push the Rhinos back out of the six and leapfrog St Helens and the Leigh Leopards to make themselves strong favourites with a win over Hull FC next week likely to confirm their play-off inclusion. The Dragons, on the other hand are now in crisis as last season’s Grand Finalists look almost certain to miss out on this season’s play-offs as they languish in eighth.
Salford Red Devils: Brierley, Ryan, Macdonald, Lafai (T), Cross (T), Nikorima (T), Sneyd (5/5 G, DG), Singleton, Mellor (T), Dudson, Stone, Watkins, Partington. Subs: Wright, Shorrocks, Hankinson, Bullock. 18th Man: Atkin.
Catalans Dragons: Mourgue (T, 2/3 G), Davies, Smith, Laguerre, Yaha, Rougé, Fages, Navarrete, Da Costa, Bousquet, McMeeken, Sironen (T), Garcia. Subs: Sims, Dezaria, Tomkins, Wallance. 18th Man: Séguier.
Half-Time: 12-6.
Full-Time: 27-12.
Score Progression: 0-2, 4-2, 6-2, 6-6, 10-6, 12-6: HT: 16-6, 18-6, 20-6, 24-6, 26-6, 26-10, 26-12, 27-12 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Catalans – Salford – Square - Salford.
Referee: Liam Moore.
