Salford 14-10 Leeds: Robert Lui inspires Red Devils victory

Robert Lui was pivotal for the Salford Red Devils

Returning star Robert Lui inspired Salford Red Devils to a 14-10 win over fading Super League champions Leeds Rhinos on Saturday.

Ian Watson's determined Red Devils had to withstand a late Rhinos fightback, when Keith Galloway and Ashton Golding threatened to recover a 14-0 deficit.

But Leeds are a shadow of last season's treble winners and Salford registered their first home win over their Yorkshire visitors since 1993, and only their second ever in Super League.

Lui's return from a four-game knee-injury lay-off was crucial and his second-half try proved pivotal.

Leeds have now lost eight of their opening 10 Super League matches and they are only kept off the bottom of the table by Huddersfield, who have one less win.

In the absence of Tommy Lee, Michael Dobson took over the captaincy in the Red Devils' first home game since their fans fought with players and among themselves at Huddersfield on Easter Monday

With England wingers Ryan Hall and Tom Briscoe both nursing knocks, Rhinos gave their places to teenagers Golding and Ash Handley. Injury also ruled out Joel Moon, so adaptable Liam Sutcliffe switched to centre.

The trio were among nine front-line Headingley players missing from the champions' latest line-up.

Logan Tomkins scored one of Salford's two tries

At kick-off, a minute's applause was held in memory of former Salford loose forward Ian Potts, who died recently after a long illness, aged 47.

Leeds enjoyed the majority of attacking possession in the first quarter and three times forced the home team to drop out.

Hooker Logan Tomkins' first try of 2016, after 24 minutes, came against the run of play. The former Wigan forward burrowed over from dummy half, giving Gareth O'Brien an easy conversion.

Salford extended their lead to 8-0 with Dobson's 26th-minute penalty, which was awarded for offside in front of the visitors' posts.

Justin Carney smashed his way through a ruck of tackles on a charging 40-metre burst, but Leeds' defence just about held firm.

But the Loiners were breached again six minutes into the second half. Mark Flanagan claimed the assist and Lui dummied his way over by the posts from five metres. Dobson's goal took the Red Devils 14-0 clear.

Leeds believed they were back in the hunt after 53 minutes. Schoolboy Salford fan Kallum Watkins jinked his way over from Rob Burrow's pass, only for referee Phil Bentham and his officials to rule the England centre had been held up.

Front-rower Singleton did not even get the ball down when he went over in the Rhinos' next attack, as Salford began to believe their long overdue victory over Leeds was nearly complete.

Leeds feared a first whitewash since losing at Halifax in 1998. But while Galloway prevented that particular ignominy, the Rhinos could not prevent another error-strewn defeat.