Salford 36-12 Hull KR: Red Devils off the mark in Super League
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 23/02/18 11:39pm
Salford picked up their first points of the 2018 Betfred Super League season with a comfortable 36-12 win over Hull KR at the AJ Bell Stadium.
Full-back Gareth O'Brien, the man whose drop goal condemned Hull KR to relegation in 2016, was again a central figure for Salford, scoring 16 points and also providing two assists as the Red Devils recorded their biggest ever Super League win over Rovers.
Winger Niall Evalds also scored two late tries for Salford as he marked his 100th career appearance in style.
It was an unhappy return for Hull KR coach Tim Sheens who spent two years at Salford alongside current Salford coach Ian Watson.
Hull KR, who came into this game with one win from their first three on their return to Super League, made the perfect start with a converted try in the third minute.
Centre Thomas Minns was first to react to a kick through by Ryan Shaw after Salford had put themselves under pressure by kicking out on the full. Shaw kicked the extras for a 6-0 lead.
The response from the home side was almost immediate - O'Brien kicked ahead close to the Rovers try-line on the last tackle and the ball evaded the Rovers defence, allowing O'Brien to regather and score. He also kicked the conversion to make it 6-6.
O'Brien was involved again as Salford scored their second try in the 19th minute. His pass sent Junior Sa'u through a gap after some good combination play between Josh Wood and Jack Littlejohn.
O'Brien also kicked the goal to give the home side a 12-6 lead and then added a penalty shortly after when Hull KR were guilty of holding down in front of the posts.
With nine minutes of the first half remaining, Salford scored their third try when Robert Lui's long pass stretched the Rovers defence before former Hull KR man Kris Welham produced an excellent pass in the tackle to winger Jake Bibby who squeezed in at the corner.
O'Brien was off target with his conversion attempt but Salford were good value for an 18-6 interval lead.
Within a minute of the restart, Salford stretched their lead when Lui finished under the posts after a break through the middle by Wood. Another conversion from O'Brien followed by a penalty in the 54th minute after Hull KR were caught offside made it 26-6 to the home side.
Hull KR hinted at a comeback 25 minutes from full-time when full-back Adam Qunilan followed up his own kick and regathered via a rebound to score under the posts - Shaw added the conversion to reduce the deficit to 14 points.
But Salford confirmed their first win since last September with two tries in the final 13 minutes from Evalds - O'Brien converting one.
