As promised, it was a close game but it was Salford that snatched the win from Rovers after being 14 points behind at half-time.
MATCH DETAILS
It was Rovers that opened the scoring as former Red Devil Weller Hauraki planted the ball down from Danny McGuire’s low kick.
Robert Lui got Salford on the scoreboard as he dummied and slid through the Hull KR defence to score. This was followed up byJosh Jones who bundled his way over a number of Rovers defenders to score his third try in as many games.
Rovers reclaimed the lead when Craig Hall latched onto a chip kick from Josh Drinkwater. George Lawler was next to score for the Robins as he wriggled free of three Salford defenders to score from close range.
Jimmy Keinhorst would round off the first half, scoring as he picked up a loose ball and raced thirty metres. Three tries in the final fifteen minutes of the half gave the hosts a 14-point lead at the interval.
Salford came out a different side after the break as they put a lot of pressure on Rovers and it eventually paid dividend. Lui threw a looping pass out wide to Derrell Olpherts who finished well to get the ball rolling for Ian Watson’s men.
The ball was moving much more freely for Salford and a flowing move involving Jackson Hastings, Lui, Niall Evalds and Junior Sa’u eventually found winger Ken Sio, who pulled off a magnificent finish in the corner against his former club. Sio’s conversion came back off the bar, meaning the Red Devils were right back in the game.
With less than ten minutes remaining, Darcy Lussick went for the line from close range and forced his way under the Rovers defence to level the scores. Sio converted to complete the comeback and finish as winners at full time.
FOUR POINTERS
Hull KR didn’t capitalise
After a positive first half, the Robins went into the interval with a 14-point lead.
However, their efforts in the second half failed to seal the win and allowed Salford to climb back when their game management declined, and it cost them the win.
Are they missing Lunt?
The hooker position was once again switched to Tommy Lee, who had shown positive performances in previous games under this position.
However today, Lee didn’t meet the standard required and so Danny Addy came in and showed better quality when playing the ball.
It’s a position that head coach Tim Sheens will be most worried about when it comes to a regular replacement for Shaun Lunt.
The complete comeback
The Red Devils once again showed their character that had turned over Rovers in previous years, not to mention the Million Pound Game.
After their flat performance against Leeds last weekend, it was arguably a result that wasn’t expected by most.
Should Sio be replaced as kicker?
It wasn’t the best of performances for Ken Sio when it came to kicking duty.
Out of the six tries that Salford scored, Sio only converted two, meaning that eight points were missed, which could’ve put the game to bed a lot sooner.
THE RESULT
Hull KR 22
Tries: Hauraki, Hall, Lawler, Keinhorst
Goals: Shaw (3)
Drop Goals: n/a
Salford 24
Tries: Lui, Jones, Olpherts, Sio, Lussick
Goals: Sio (2)
Drop Goals: n/a
SQUADS
Hull KR: Dagger, Shaw, Keinhorst, Linnett, Hall, McGuire, Drinkwater, Mulhern, Lee, Masoe, Tomkins, Hauraki, Lawler.
Interchanges: Garbutt, Atkin, Addy, Lannon
Salford: Evalds, Olpherts, Welham, Sau, Sio, Lui, Hastings, Mossop, Lussick, Dudson, Jones, Turgut, Griffin.
Interchanges: Burke, McCarthy, Tomkins, Murray.
