Magic: Hull KR edge Salford to open up day two at Anfield
Ryan Shaw’s penalty proved the difference as Hull KR held off a Salford fightback to win 22-20.
Rovers looked comfortable at 20-6 10 minutes in to the second half, but the Red Devils dragged themselves back level.
Crucially, Krisnan Inu missed the conversions from Ken Sio’s two tries, leaving the scores level at 20-20, enabling Shaw to kick the winner five minutes from time.
After running league leaders St Helens oh so close up the road last week, much was expected of Salford at Anfield.
They made a sluggish start and after a cagey opening quarter, Hull KR took the lead when Kane Linnett took a couple of men over the line with him after Weller Hauraki had helped create an overlap.
Ryan Shaw added the conversion and then on 26 minutes slotted over a penalty from bang in front to put the Robins 8–0 to the good.
Having received the ball from the kick-off, they worked up to the 40 metre line and shifted the ball wide left, a hopeful kick by Craig Hall from tight to the touchline bounced in the Salford 10 metres, Jackson Hastings and Niall Evalds got in each other’s way and it sat up kindly for Hall to touch down for 14-0.
Salford’s woes were deepened moments later when Pauli Pauli was sent to the sinbin for a late shot on Josh Drinkwater, and Hull KR then turned the screw.
Two smart Danny McGuire kicks forced repeat sets as Salford were clinging on, but on the stroke of half-time they handed themselves a life line.
Off the back of a penalty, Joey Lussick scooted over under the sticks and Salford may well have been the happier of the two sides at 14-6 down at the break.
Both Wakefield and Wigan struck early in the second half on Saturday to claw themselves back in to their respective games against Catalans and Warrington, albeit without success in the end, and Salford sought to do that in this one.
But it was Hull KR who would score the first try of the second half, Derrell Olpherts losing possession of the ball following a tackle by Linnett, allowing Hall to touch down for his second try.
The game would turn on the 50th minute though, Hull KR captain Joel Tomkins penalised for a tackle on Hastings and that spurred the Red Devils in to action.
Following the resulting penalty, Pauli steamed through a gap to get their second try and then Hastings set up Ken Sio in the corner to reduce arrears to 20-16.
The Robins were rocking and they were aggrieved on 65 minutes when a smart kick by McGuire came back off Niall Evalds and into McGuire’s grasp, but the referee judged it hadn’t been played at, gifting possession back to Salford.
Former Hull KR winger Sio then levelled the scores with an acrobatic finish in the corner, though Inu couldn’t convert from the touchline.
A high shot on Drinkwater would enable Shaw to kick the winning penalty in the 75th minute.
Salford: Evalds, Sio, Welham, Inu, Olpherts, Lui, Hastings, Mossop, Lussick, Dudson, Jones, Griffin, Burke. Subs: Bibby, McCarthy, Pauli, Walker.
Hull KR: Hall, Crooks, Keinhorst, Linnett, Shaw, McGuire, Drinkwater, Masoe, Addy, Mulhern, Hauraki, Tomkins, Lawler. Subs: Atkin, Lunt, Garbutt, Maria.