SALFORD Red Devils got their Super 8 qualifier fixtures off to a flying start when they took on basement club Huddersfield Giants at the AJ Bell stadium. Quays News reporter Andrew Riley was there to watch the action unfold.
Despite the name Luke Burgess appearing on the Salford team sheet, it was hat-trick hero Mason Caton-Brown who lit up the AJ Bell stadium as the Devils swept the Huddersfield Giants aside 34-12.
Caton-Brown, who has been linked with a move away from the club in recent days, was looking imperious in both attack and defence as Salford began their quest to retain top flight status.
Head coach Ian Watson was glowing in his praise for his entire squad post-match.
He said: “We worked the lads really hard over the last two weeks, and they’ve gone out there and done the business. We knew it was important to start this mini season well.”
“We spoke about keeping it low key during the week, and although there were a few nerves about, it didn’t show today.”
Salford rarely looked troubled as they raced into an early lead thanks to George Griffin’s opener after 6 minutes which was converted by Gareth O’Brien, before Caton-Brown scored his first 12 minutes in, after some good work by Michael Dobson and Josh Griffin.
O’Brien slotted over a penalty to make it 14-0 before the moment Red Devils fans had been waiting for and Luke Burgess made his debut after 20 minutes to a warm round of applause from the Salford faithful.
It was then time for some defence as the Giants forced three goal line drop outs in a row, but the Red line held firm and indeed could have been even further ahead had Caton Brown not been pulled up for a forward pass; before Weller Hauraki did score in the 38th minute and with another O’Brien conversion the Devils went in at the break 20-0 up.
The second half was characterised with a number of silly Salford penalties which led to the visitors eventually scoring through Nathan Mason in the 55th minute. Former Giants captain Danny Brough added the extras to make it 20-6, and then again three minutes later through Oliver Roberts, again Brough with the boot.
Brough, whose unpunished Cannonball tackle earlier this year led to Caton-Brown missing a huge swathe of the season, could have seen a yellow card on more than one occasion after fighting with Logan Tomkins, and then after a very high shot on Rob Lui. It was Caton-Brown, however, who was to have the last laugh as he completed his hat-trick after 73 minutes, O’Brien again with the boot, to make it 34-12.
See Devils' speedster @MasonCatonBrown scorch in for his hat-trick against the Giants in the Super 8s Qualifiers. pic.twitter.com/nVEpYl7m3O
— Salford Red Devils (@SalfordDevils) August 7, 2016
Winger Justin Carney limped off with five minutes left on the clock, but the twelve men managed to hold out and the game finished with him undergoing treatment on his knee.
Watson told the post-match press conference: “He’s being checked out now. It’s not swollen, he feels it’s a little unstable, so we’ll send him for a scan tomorrow – and then have more news later in the week.”
Salford will look now to beat local rivals Leigh Centurions on Saturday and take another step closer to securing Super League status for 2017.
Salford: Gareth O’Brien, Justin Carney, Josh Griffin, Junior Sa’u, Mason Caton-Brown, Rob Lui, Michael Dobson, Craig Kopczak, Logan Tomkins, George Griffin, Ben Murdoch-Masila, Feleti Mateo, Mark Flanagan.
Subs: Weller Hauraki, Olsi Krasniqi, Sean Kenny, Luke Burgess.
Attendance: 2184
MOTM: Mason Caton-Brown
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