Salford 70-16 Featherstone: Red Devils boost survival hopes
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 11/09/16 7:08pm
Salford boosted their Super League survival hopes with a 70-16 rout of Featherstone Rovers in the Super 8s Qualifiers.
The Red Devils ran in 13 tries and had nine different try scorers with Junior Sa'u, Ben Murdoch-Masila, Josh Jones and Weller Hauraki all claiming two tries and others coming from Daniel Vidot, Niall Evalds, Logan Tomkins, Michael Dobson and Olsi Krasniqi.
Stand-off Gareth O'Brien added 18 points as he landed nine goals from 12 attempts.
It was Salford's second win in the Qualifiers and they now face further Championship opposition in their final two games in the shape of London Broncos and Batley as they aim to retain their Super League status.
Featherstone remain bottom of the qualifiers after their fifth straight defeat but were rewarded for their efforts at the AJ Bell stadium with tries by Jordan Baldwinson, Jack Ormondroyd and Josh Walters, while Kyle Briggs kicked two goals.
The Championship side made a sensational start with a spectacular long-range try in the opening minute as Anthony Thackery made a break from deep. Rovers kept the ball alive and prop forward Baldwinson took the final pass to score an excellent try.
But that was as good as it got for Featherstone in the opening exchanges as the Red Devils roared back to blitz the visitors with five tries in a devastating 14-minute spell.
Featherstone failed to deal with the restart which gave Salford the position from which Hauraki powered over. Rovers put the restart out on the full and were made to pay for another error as this time Sa'u took advantage as he touched down.
Three further quick tries followed from Vidot, Jones and Sa'u claimed his second, and with O'Brien landing three conversions Salford had total control at 26-6.
To their credit Featherstone hit back with a try from Ormondroyd, who touched down Thackary's kick and Briggs again converted.
But the home side ran in a further three tries in the final 12 minutes of the first half through Evalds, Murdoch-Masila and Tomkins, all converted by O'Brien, to give the Red Devils a commanding 44-12 half-time advantage.
Featherstone claimed the first try of the second half through Josh Walters before the home side hit the 50-point mark as Krasniqi touched down and O'Brien converted.
Hauraki claimed his second try of the game in the 53rd minute before Dobson became his side's ninth different try scorer by finishing off a fine passing move on the hour mark.
Salford added two further tries in the final 10 minutes through Murdoch-Masila and Jones to complete the one-sided rout.
