Fresh from their win over the Toronto Wolfpack last weekend, the Salford Red Devils played host to a Huddersfield Giants side who are one hundred percent after just one outing so far in the 2020 season, and who had the benefit of a week off due to the storm.

Salford won two out of the three meeting last season and were slight favourites with the bookies to pick up the win, the Giants being given a two point start on the handicap coupon.

A sixteen point winning margin would put the Giants on the top of the table, the Red Devils needing a win to make fourth spot overnight.

Salford took the game to the Giants from the first whistle and got over the line twice in the opening quarter of an hour but great last ditch defence prevented Ken Sio from grounding the ball on both occasions.

On their first real foray into the Red Devils half it was the Giants who scored the first try as Adam O’Brien poached the four pointer with a scoot from acting half-back, a dummy left and step inside to score under the sticks to give Aidan Sezer a simple goal for a 6-0 lead.

Ken Sio finally got his try on twenty-three, the easiest of the three chances as he walked over on the overlap from five  metres out to slightly improve the angle as he stooped to ground. Tui Lolohea couldn’t add the conversion from wide.

The visitors took a two point lead into the interval in what had been an unengaging and scrappy first forty minutes, both coaches had some work to do in the dressing rooms.

Salford hit the front with the second half just five minutes old. Dan Sarginson was the man on the spot to take a Kevin Brown pass and step though the Gaints defence to score. Lolohea was on target with his conversion to take is side into a four point lead.

The Giants were back on level terms on fifty three as Lewis Senior took a looping pass for a walk in try by the left cornerflag. Sezer dropped his conversion just short of the sticks and there was nothing between the sides at 10-10.

Lolohea went for a drop goal on seventy-four but the ball slipped wide of the uprights and a minute later Kevin Brown reacted badly to a tackle and lashed out, the referee brandishing a yellow card and ending Brown’s evening.

Three minutes from time the Red Devils knocked on close to their own line and two tackles into the set the Giants were awarded a penalty goal for interference at the play the ball by Will Mossop. Sezer slotted the ball between the uprights to take the two points and snatch a 12-10 lead.

Salford finished the game on the attack but Sio’s kick through was collected by the Giants to kill the game.

The Giants took the points from a scrappy and edgy game where neither side hit their stride or built any momentum. There is very little to choose between these two and whether they will be at the top, or the bottom, of the table there won’t be many league points between them at the end of the season.

Red Devils: Evalds, Sio (T), Welham, Sarginson (T), Williams, Lolohea (G), Brown (SB on 75), Mossop, Jones, Johnson, Greenwood, McCarthy, Burke.  Subs: Lannon, Yates, Lussick, Pauli.

Giants: McIntosh, McGillvary, Wood, Turner, Senior L (T), Sezer (2G), Gaskell, English, O’Brien (T), Matago, Wardle, Murphy, Lawrence.  Subs: Clough, Gavet, Edwards, Ta’ai.

Referee: James Child.

Half-Time: 4-6.

Full-Time: 10-12.

Attendance: .