The ongoing takeover saga and financial troubles overshadow
everything and anything that the Salford Red Devils try to do on the field and
the side with just one win in 2025 travelled to a Castleford Tigers side who
themselves have won just two games in a basement battle to finish off the
eleventh round of Super League XXX.
The bookies didn’t give Salford a ‘snowball in hell’s’
chance of winning, handicapping Castleford by twenty points on the coupon as
they looked to repeat their round three victory when they won by 22-14.
A Red Devils win would lift them back off the bottom, but
Castleford needed three wins to make any difference to their league position,
however, one would be a good start for Danny McGuire’s men.
After withstanding six minutes of Salford attack it was
Castleford who opened the scoring on their first attack with Tex Hoy evading
the tacklers to score. Rowan Milnes added the conversion for a 6-0 lead.
It was clear from the opening exchanges that these were two
poor sides, evenly matched, but struggling to play out sets of six without
error.
Castleford doubled their lead on eighteen, Zac Cini leaping
to take a Daejarn Asi kick to the corner, spin out of the tackle, and run in
unopposed. Milnes added the extras for a 12-0 lead.
Innes Senior scored the third Castleford try, leaping for
the corner flag to ground one-handed as the Salford cover tried to push him
into touch. Milnes hit the mark for a third time for 18-0, the Tigers pulling
clear.
Two minutes before the interval, a Senior break down the
left wing off a Hoy pass saw him to the Salford twenty where he passed back
inside to the supporting Hoy to go over for his second of the afternoon. Milnes
added the conversion, the Tigers taking a 24-0 lead into the sheds at half
time.
Salford finally registered their first points on forty-three
as they gave the ball air Jayden Nikorima putting Matty Foster free to score.
Ryan Brierley added the conversion for 6-24.
Four minutes later Salford were in again, Nene MacDonald
stretching to score from ten metres after spinning out of one tackle and
evading two more. Brierley missed the conversion from wide, Salford edging
their way back into contention in a game which looked lost, the Tigers a little
rattled.
The rot was stopped on fifty-six, Muizz Mustapha taken the
Milnes pass five from the sticks and dropping both shoulders to jink his way to
the line to score under the sticks and give Milnes the simplest of conversions.
An Alex Mellor grubber was chased and grounded by Hoy to crush
any hopes of a Salford fightback as he claimed his hat-trick try. Milnes kicked
his sixth goal of the afternoon, maintaining his one hundred percent record,
for 36-10.
The seventh Tigers try was scored by Mellor, taking an Asi
pass to show a clean pair of heels and go in from ten metres out. Milnes continued
his faultless afternoon with the boot, the Tigers 42-10 ahead with six minutes
remaining.
Small consolation for Salford on seventy-six, MacDonald
getting his second as he chased a kick through and grounded close to the dead
ball line. Brierley added the extras for 16-42.
The final score of the game went to the Tigers when Salford
spilled the ball into the head of Asi who picked up the loose ball and went
over the line to ground. Milnes made it eight from eight for a final score of
48-16.
Neither of these two sides will make the top six and will be
battling to avoid being in the bottom two for the remaining rounds of the season.
Salford’s woes are well documented and the expectations of them are very low.
Danny McGuire will be delighted with the outcome of this game but still has a
long way to go for his side to reach their potential and the aspirations of
their supporters and challenge for trophies and play-off places.
Castleford Tigers: Hoy (3T), Simm, Cini (T), Wood, Senior
(T), Asi (T), Milnes (G 8/8), Amone, Horne, Lawler, Westerman, Mellor (T), Mustapha
(T). Subs: Hall, Senior, Singleton, Atkin. 18th Man: Robb.
Salford Red Devils: Ryan, Hankinson, Marsters, Vaughan,
MacDonald (2T), Nikorima, Brierley (G 2/3), Ormondroyd, Hill, Makin, Foster (T),
Warren, Shorrocks. Subs: Davis, Sangare,
Wilson, Chan. 18th Man: Connell.
Half-Time: 24-0.
Full-Time: 48-16.
Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, 10-0, 12-0, 16-0, 18-0, 22-0,
24-0 : HT: 24-4, 24-6, 24-10, 28-10, 30-10, 34-10, 36-10, 40-10, 42-10, 42-14,
42-16, 46-16, 48-16 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Castleford.
Referee: Marcus Griffiths.
