Salford’s match day seventeen is starting to take a familiar look now particularly the spine of the team. This week just two loan players featured, Jacob Douglas on the wing and hard working forward Cameron Bate. Lewis Pilling partnered Toby Hughes in the halves again and Ollie Garmston stayed in the centres. Joe Baldwin was the starting hooker with Brad Dwyer on the bench.
Doncaster coach Richard Horne had established halves Connor Robinson and Cory Aston together at six and seven. The explosive Muizz Mustapha started at prop with the experienced Alex Sutcliffe in the back row. Tom Whitehead who spent time on loan at Salford last season made the Dons bench.
I think we all knew what to expect with the visit of Doncaster. Power, pace and a very well drilled side that is more than capable of a top three finish in 2026. The two previous meetings have both been complete miss matches. Salford were looking to show good signs of progress in this eighty minutes but for a period in the first half it looked like Doncaster were going to rack up an even bigger score.
Kieran Dixon misjudged a kick to thump it out on the full and from the next set of six the visitors went over for a well worked try with Sutcliffe going over from a flat pass. The size and physicality of Doncaster stood out like a sore thumb. Add to that their slick play and organised attack it didn’t take long for their second try to come, Bureta Faraimo powered over as Salford clocked off out wide. The second conversion from Robinson hit the very top of the post which in itself is a pretty rare occurrence. 0-10.
Two more tries in the opening quarter put the visitors 0-22 in front in as many minutes and it looked like it was going to be a case of how many. Salford needed to stem the tide. Toby Hughes has really started to shine for Salford and the young half showed a lovely step to out fox the Dons defence to score.
Tom Holmes responded with Doncaster’s fifth try but the highlight of the first half and arguably the try of the half came when Garmston sent his winger Dougles gliding through on the right edge. Hughes backed up superbly to read the play and race in for his second try. Salford had not only stemmed the tide but they’d knocked Doncaster’s game plan off the table.
Three minutes into the second half Garmston grabbed Salford a lifeline with a try. Dixon failed to convert but the lead had been reduced to just twelve points. The visitors were out of sorts and Salford went looking for another score. Garmston came so close but was held up by some desperate defence. A second penalty of the afternoon was conceded whilst Salford had the ball. This time the referee signalled pushing. It seemed a really soft one to concede.
Lewis Pilling dropped his shoulder and went for the gap on a thrilling break. Cameron Bate supported but he was unfortunate to lose the ball in a heavy collision.
Salford were banging on the door but the try kept evading them. Douglas looked for an acrobatic finish in the corner, he threw his body over the touch line and looked to plant the ball one handed but just lost control at the vital second.
Three tries from the visitors in the final twelve minutes gave the result a very harsh look. Salford’s spirit was personified by a final play of the match. Owain Abel chased a kick through into the in goal. The odds were stacked against him getting to the ball but he gave it everything. You can’t coach that sort of determination and despite the defeat coach Dave Hewitt had plenty to be positive about after the match.
Salford travel to Hunslet next Sunday for what will be another testing afternoon in the Championship.
Salford 16 Doncaster 44.
Paul Whiteside.
Big thanks to Gareth Lyons for the photos.