Two of the bottom three sides met in the final game of round
eighteen as Salford hosted Castleford with both sides looking to avoid the ignominy
of finishing at the bottom of the pile come the end of the season.
A win for the Red Devils would lift them to within two of
the Huddersfield Giants and win for the Castleford Tigers would see them to
within two of the Catalans Dragons, with the bookies thinking that it would be
the Tigers who would take the spoils, handicapping them by twelve on the
coupon.
This was the first meeting between the two sides in 2025,
Castleford winning in round four by 22-14 and round eleven by 48-16.
Both sides bombed early chances to take the lead within the
opening few minutes, there looked to be plenty of space for both sides.
On eight minutes Ethan Ryan edged Salford into the lead after
he took an Esan Marsters pass to the wing and walked over in the right-hand
corner.
The Tigers were back on level terms on eighteen, Josh Simm
the last man in a passing move to dip the shoulder and wrongfoot the defender
to go over in the corner. The conversion was wide of the sticks.
It was all too easy for Castleford on twenty-four when
Deajarn Asi went from first receiver from the back of the scrum to jink through
the Salford defenders and dive in next to the left upright. Chris Atkin added
the simple conversion for 10-4.
Jeremiah Simbiken had a try ruled out on the half hour when
he lost possession in grounding the ball under the Salford sticks.
Three minutes before the interval the home team moved back
with two as Harvey Wilson took a short pass and smashed his way through the line
to ground under the sticks, Hankinson adding the extras to level at 10-10.
Two minutes later and it was Salford who snatched the half
time lead, Joe Mellor taking an inside pass from Marsters to go over from
twenty metres. Hankinson was on target again, the Red Devils with a six-point
lead at the break.
The Salford lead lasted just five minutes as Asi crossed for
his second on forty-four, throwing the dummy and going over from five metres
out. Atkin added he extras for 16-16.
But Salford weren’t going to let this one get away from them
as Marsters took the ball at first receiver on the Castleford ten to push his
way over the line and ground. Hankinson hit the mark for 22-16 as the
influential Marsters was heled from the field after sustaining an injury in the
act of scoring.
The lead was extended just before the hour mark, Hankinson
collecting a Russell grubber to the goal area and stooping to ground. The Salford
centre was unable to convert, the lead at ten points, the Salford fans starting
to believe.
With just over two minutes remaining the Tigers grabbed themselves
a lifeline as George Lawler chased and grounded a Chris Atkin kick through which
bounced off the post pad and onto the Salford line. Atkin added the extras and the lead was down
to just four points but Salford managed to play out the dying seconds while
keeping the Tigers out.
Salford Red Devils recorded their second win of the season,
and their first in almost four months since they beat the Huddersfield Giants on
the 20th March 2025. In another awful administrative week this will
be something to celebrate as it gets them to within two of the Giants in the
race to avoid the wooden spoon. The Tigers dispensed with the services of coach
McGuire earlier in the week but didn’t get the bounce that they would have been
hoping for, instead it looks like they have taken a backward step.
Salford Red Devils: Brierley, Ryan (T), Hankinson (T, G 3/4),
Marsters (T), Connell, Nokorima, Russell, Ormondroyd, Mellor (T), Hill, Russell,
Whitehead, Shorrocks. Subs: Murphy, Wilson (T), Lewis, Warren. 18th
Man: Morgan.
Castleford Tigers: Rooney, Simm (T), Senior L, Cini, Wood,
Asi (2T), Atkin (G 3/4), Stimson, Robb, Amone, Simbiken, Mellor, Westerman. Subs:
Lawler (T), Griffin, Hall, Stimson. 18th Man: Hill.
Half-Time: 16-10.
Full-Time: 26-22.
Score Progression: 4-0, 4-4, 4-8, 4-10, 8-10, 10-10, 14-10,
16-10 : HT: 16-14, 16-16, 20-16, 22-16, 26-16, 26-20, 26-22 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Salford – Square – Castleford – Square –
Salford – Square - Salford.
Referee: Aaron Moore.
