The opening Sunday encounter of the Magic Weekend threw together the Salford Red Devils and the Catalans Dragons.
The Red Devils were hoping to cement their top eight spot with a win, over a Catalans side which could lift themselves off the bottom and into ninth, until the sides above them play later in the afternoon. Salford won the previous encounters including a 32-16 win in March.
The bookmakers were struggling to pick between the two sides but had made Salford the slight favourites as the crowds flooded back in to St James’ Park for the second day of this years jamboree.
Darren Olphertshad a try ruled out of two minutes for Salford but on eight the video referee couldn’t help the Dragons as Weller Hauraki took a Flanagan pass, split two defenders, and fended off a third to go over under the sticks. Robert Lui added the conversion.
After being a clear second best for the opening minutes, the try stunned the Dragons into action and on thirteen Benjamin Garcia stretched out to ground the ball on the line. He got the benefit of the video official but Josh Drinkwater was unable to add the extras and his side still trailed by two.
Tony Gigot missed a kickable penalty on twenty minutes but two minutes later Jullien Bousquet grounded a Michael McIllorum grubber to edge the Dragons into an 8-6 lead. Tony Gigot kicked his first goal of the afternoon to double the French sides’ lead.
Catalans were good value for their first half lead but knew that they would need a similar second half effort to stand a chance of the points.
On forty-eight Jodie Broughton extended the Dragons lead against his former employers when he took a looping pass and avoided the tackle of Niall Evalds to score. Gigot was unable to kick the conversion but the lead was eight points and it was looking increasingly difficult for Salford to come back.
On sixty the Dragons turned defence into attack as Broughton showed a clean pair of heels as he went down the left wing after taking a Josh Drinkwater pass on the half way line. Gigot drilled his conversion between the uprights for a 20-6 lead as the Dragons pulled clear and lifted themselves off the bottom of the table.
Broughton completed a fifteen minute hat-trick on sixty-three taking a looping pass to go outside the Salford winger and come round to improve the angle but Gigot failed to convert leaving the Dragons with a 24-6 lead.
Gigot kicked a seventy-second minute penalty from in front of the uprights but the last points of the game came when George Griffin picked up a seventy-fifth minute consolation going through a yawning gap created by a David Mead attempted intercept. Lui added the goal for 12-26.
The Dragons put in one of their best performances of the season and after an awful first half of the season they now find themselves off the bottom of the table, and momentartily above the Huddersfield Giants into ninth place in Super League, two points off the top eight. This Dragons side didn’t look like strugglers and middle eight candidates, Salford, on the other hand may currently be occupying an elevated league position.
Red Devils: Evlads, Johnson, Welham, Sa’u, Olpherts, Lui (2G), Littlejohn, Kopczak, Tomkins, Mossop, Griffin (T), Hauraki (T), Flanagan. Subs: Tasi, McCarthy, Wood, Murray.
Dragons: Gigot (2G), Broughton (3T), Mead, Wiliame, Tierney, Bird, Drinkwater, Simon, McIlorum, Moa, Jullien, Garcia (T), Casty. Subs: Anderson, Bousquet (T), Baitieri, Maria.
Referee: Gareth Hewer.
Half-Time: 6-10.
Full-Time: 12-26.
Attendance: .
