Salford v Huddersfield.

As a new week started it didn’t take long before the Rugby League press began murmurs of departures. It wasn’t even morning brew time on Monday before names were being linked with various clubs. This week Salford face Huddersfield Giants on Thursday night. Both sides have yet to register a win in the Super League and it was disappointment for the Giants at weekend going out of the cup at home to in form Wakefield Trinity. 

Who knows what the Salford starting thirteen will look like on Thursday night but one things for sure the supporters who attend the match will be right behind the team. 

I spoke to Ryan Brierley after the match against Bradford last Friday and listening to him it really upset me. It’s been a day to day struggle for everyone at the club.

I took a lot of positives out of last Friday. Kai Morgan and Harvey Wilson were both outstanding and are blossoming into very good young players. Jack Ormondroyd and Chris Hill put in tremendous efforts to play eighty minutes. Ryan Brierley was a shining light and Jayden Nikorima enjoyed a bit more freedom playing alongside Chris Atkin. 

Losing more players is going to make things very difficult but let’s just hope their is some light at the end of the tunnel. I think hope is all we’ve got to go off at the moment. 

I listened with interested to Chris Irwin’s interview with BBC Radio Manchester. Again the word hopefully was used quite a lot and their was no real timeline or reassurance given. Chris is in a really difficult position at the moment. He will be under a lot of pressure and just like me and you he will have family to look after so let’s do our best to get behind him and the club we love. 

I’ve said it before but as a supporter in these sort of situations you don’t have any control. It’s so difficult watching the team you love going through a crisis like this. The biggest fear is the club not existing. I can’t bring myself to think that way. 

This week is going to be another difficult one to navigate and a test of character for everybody involved.

Super League home record 

Salford 17

Draws 0

Huddersfield 11

1998 Salford 40 Huddersfield 6

1999 Salford 14 Huddersfield 15

2000 Salford 18 Huddersfield/Sheffield 8

2001 Salford 28 Huddersfield 14

2004 Salford 18 Huddersfield 25

2005 Salford 24 Huddersfield 16

2006 Salford 36 Huddersfield 18

2007 Salford 14 Huddersfield 12

2009 Salford 10 Huddersfield 34

2010 Salford 30 Huddersfield 18

2011 Salford 24 Huddersfield 18

2012 Salford 20 Huddersfield 30

2013 Salford 21 Huddersfield 20

2014 Salford 22 Huddersfield 42

2015 Salford 0 Huddersfield 19

2016 Salford 30 Huddersfield 31

2016 Salford 34 Huddersfield 12 (Qualifiers)

2017 Salford 36 Huddersfield 20

2017 Salford 52 Huddersfield 14 (Super Eights)

2018 Salford 16 Huddersfield 24

2019 Salford 18 Huddersfield 36

2019 Salford 32 Huddersfield 12

2020 Salford 10 Huddersfield 12

2021 Salford 18 Huddersfield 12

2022 Salford 33 Huddersfield 16

2023 Salford 16 Huddersfield 26

2024 Salford 18 Huddersfield 16

2024 Salford 60 Huddersfield 10

They played for both.

Here are a selection of players who have played for both clubs;

Steve Kerry, Danny Arnold, Greg Austin, David Bradbury, Jodie Broughton, Ryan Clayton, Gavin Clinch, Greg Eden, Simon Finnigan, Matt Gardner, Lee Gaskell, Martin Gleeson, Bobbie Goulding, Darrel Griffin, Josh Griffin, Neil Harmon, David Hodgson, Graham Holroyd, Andy Johnson, Phil Joseph, Craig Kopczak, Michael korkidas, Tommy Lee, Martin Moana, Chris Nero, Robbie Paul, Luke Robinson, Jordan Turner, Adam Walne, Paul White, Stephen Wild, Tui Lolohea, Luke Yates, Theo Fages, Jake Bibby, Harvey Livett and Josh Jones.

A match to remember, Saturday 24th August 2024.

Nikorima Shines Bright For Devils!

Salford 60 Huddersfield 10.

A lot of talk in the media this week focused on the magical amount of points to make the top six playoffs. This time of year momentum is a very significant factor and that’s something Salford needed to start building again.

Huddersfield have been one of the years under achieving teams and any hopes the Giants had of making the playoffs had fizzled out a good while ago costing former coach Ian Watson his job. Under caretaker boss Luke Robinson the team were showing signs of improvement with a fair amount of pressure now off the club. 

Salford were looking to continue their excellent home record in 2024. Only Wigan had left the City of Salford with points and the Red Devils were facing a Huddersfield side with a good few former players in it.

With Oliver Partington and Tim Lafai suspended coach Paul Rowley had to make changes to his seventeen. Sam Stone was also missing after picking up an injury last Sunday at Elland Road.

Chris Hankinson slotted in at centre for Lafai. Chris Atkin made his 100th Salford appearance at loose forward with Shane Wright moving into the back row to cover Sam Stone’s absence. Amir Bourouh made the bench with Harvey Wilson.

The Giants had Tui Lolahea and Oliver Russell in the halves. Jake Connor started at fullback and Jake Bibby was in the centres. Ashton Golding started at hooker with the experienced Chris Hill and Leroy Cudjoe at prop and loose forward respectively. 

The weather had been a bit showery throughout the day but was fine and dry for a teatime kick off. 

Huddersfield looked dangerous in the early stages as they attacked Salford’s left edge. Good fullback play from Ryan Brierley kept the Giants out.

Despite the visitors early promise the first half was all one way traffic as Salford clicked through the gears with some blistering attacking rugby. Jayden Nikorima came of age with a dazzling first half performance. He broke clear to put Atkin over for the games first try before Andre Savelio was sin binned from a very clumsy tackle. 

Salford doubled their lead from Marc Sneyd’s precision kick. Brierley followed up to pounce. 12-0. Quick thinking and a neat offload from Deon Cross gifted Brierley his second try to put Salford 18-0 up. Sneyd then booted a penalty goal from about forty two yards out to give the Red Devils a twenty point cushion. 

The first half still had plenty of scintillating action to come and when Nikorima scorched through a jaded Giants defence Ethan Ryan backed up superbly before passing back to Nikorima who finished a fantastic move. Motörhead’s Ace of Spades belted out from the speakers and the crowd lapped it up. 

Captain Kallum Watkins was magnificent in defence and his subtle offloads were little touches of brilliance and a joy to watch.

Right on the hooter Nikorima ran the Giants defence ragged to score a wonderful individual try. 32-0 at the break summed up a near perfect half.

Sometimes it’s hard to replicate such a good half in the next forty minutes but Salford weren’t to shabby. Two quick tries set them on their way. Ethan Ryan finished well after good work from Nene Macdonald before youngster Harvey Wilson stormed through showing special footwork and a hot turn of pace. Sneyd converted both, 42-0.

Giants stand off Oliver Russell was sin binned for holding on far too long in the tackle on the back of Macdonald’s break. The visitors were chasing shadows and were starved of possession due to Salford’s try exploits and faultless completion rate.

Sneyd sent Macdonald through a huge gap to score and he was off to celebrate with the supporters in the South stand which was a joy to see. 

Another end to end break had players queuing up to score and this time Sneyd ghosted over.

The Giants eventually decided to kick off short and desperately gathered possession. Sam Hewitt powered over to get them some points. 

Kallum Watkins could of scored as he charged to the line but he gifted Brierley his hat trick with a pass close to the line. I think that just about sums Watkins up, he’s absolutely class as a person and a player. Sneyd converted to put Salford 60-4 up.

Fenton Rogers scored from close range late on for Huddersfield but the day belonged to Salford. The Red Devils had that fire back in the belly and now sit fourth in the table with just four games left. Joe Shorrocks had played a different role in this match as more of a ball playing forward and this suited him down to the ground. Another master stroke from Paul Rowley maybe.

The teams that day;

Salford, Brierley,Ryan, Macdonald, Hankinson, Cross, Nikorima, Sneyd, Singleton, Mellor, Lewis, Wright, Watkins, Atkin.

Subs, Bourouh, Shorrocks, Wilson, Bullock.

Huddersfield, Connor, Mcgowan, Bibby, Naiqama, Halsall, Lolahea, Russell, Hill, Golding, Savelio, Hewitt, Rushton, Cudjoe.

Subs, Rush, Ikahihifo, English, Rogers.

Attendance, 3,319

Referee, Marcus Griffiths.

Thursday’s match.

Paul Rowley has named an eighteen man squad this week with Joe Shorrocks and Matty Foster returning. Chris Hankinson misses out through injury which is a bitter blow after his recent performances. Salford are again without out Nene Macdonald.

Huddersfield Giants have new signing and former Salford star Niall Evalds in their twenty one man squad. Evalds has joined on loan until the end of the season from Hull Kingston Rovers. Jake Bibby and Tui Lolahea are both available too. Adam Swift is a big thread on the wing with his terrific try record and Leroy Cudjoe who will be thirty seven next month has played around four hundred matches for the club since making his debut in 2008. 

With both side having played four and lost four so far in the Super League the bookmakers have been unable to split them. 

The Giants have lots of pace in the three quarter line so Salford will have to be switched on in defence on the edges. Huddersfield coach Luke Robinson is a familiar face for Salford supporters having played at the Willows for three seasons in the mid-2000s. He scored plenty of tries in that spell but left to join Huddersfield in 2007 as Salford were relegated. 

The action gets under way at 8pm

Safe travels and enjoy the match.

Paul Whiteside. 

Big thanks to Steve McCormick for the photos and the Salford match day programme.