ESL ESL Salford - News and Views

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Super League side Salford Red Devils have signed Samoa centre Tim Lafai on a one-year deal.

The 30-year-old joined Parramatta in 2021 but played just four games before the New South Wales Cup was halted because of Covid.

Lafai scored 50 tries in 170 games for Canterbury Bulldogs over two spells and the St George Illawarra Dragons.

 

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Salford City hope to move to the AJ Bell Stadium in time for the start of the 2023-24 season.

The League Two club have been in talks wit the Salford City Reds about the rugby league side moving to their Peninsula Stadium next year.

Premiership rugby union side Sale Sharks currently share the AJ Bell with the Super League side.

Salford City Reds' rental agreement with the 12,000-capacity AJ Bell Stadium ends in 2023.

 

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Betfred Super League
Salford (16) 30
Tries: Lafai, Burgess 3 Cross Goals: Sneyd 5
Castleford (6) 14
Tries: Hampshire, Qareqare 2 Goals: O'Brien

Joe Burgess ran in a hat-trick as Salford Red Devils recorded a double over Castleford Tigers and also made it back-to-back Super League wins.

They had to come from behind after Ryan Hampshire's opening score for the visitors, but Tim Lafai and Burgess' first two scores established a lead.

Jason Qareqare's double either side of Deon Cross' Red Devils' try gave Cas some hope of a fightback.

However, Burgess' hat-trick try ended their hopes from Lafai's flick pass.

It was a defeat which dents Cas' impressive recent progress, having lost just one of the last five in Super League before this game.


Meanwhile, Paul Rowley's Salford had run big guns Wigan and St Helens close in narrow defeats before ending their losing run against Leeds last time out.

 

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Betfred Super League
Catalans (8) 14
Tries: Davies 2, Garcia Goals: Drinkwater
Salford (18) 46
Tries: Sneyd, Croft, Watkins 2, Sio, Atkin, Brierley, Cross Goals: Sneyd 5, Brierley 2

Kallum Watkins' two tries in his 250th Super League game moved Salford into the play-off places, with victory away to a faltering Catalans Dragons.

Marc Sneyd, Brodie Croft and Watkins tries gave Salford an 18-8 half-time advantage, sandwiched between England winger Tom Davies' brace of scores.

Watkins' second, plus Ken Sio, Chris Atkin, Ryan Brierley and Deon Cross scores put it beyond reach.

Ben Garcia's try could not stop Salford leapfrogging Castleford into sixth.

The Dragons remain fourth, in the optimum play-off spots within the six, but with five defeats in seven and Leeds hot on their heels.

Last year's Grand Finalists did not help themselves, notably when Samisoni Langi's sin-binning left a short-on-numbers Dragons down for 10 minutes midway though the second 40, and Salford took full advantage with three tries near back-to-back.

They also lost Arthur Mourgue to injury, withdrawn, prompting another reshuffle.

 

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Betfred Super League
Salford (10) 28
Tries: Watkins, Williams, Sio, Cross, Brierley Goals: Sneyd 4
Hull FC (12) 18
Tries: Smith, Fash, Connor Goals: Gale 3

Salford Red Devils remain in the final Super League play-off spot as they picked up an eighth win in 10 games with victory over a depleted Hull FC.

The visitors had a two-point half-time lead after Will Smith and Brad Fash had cancelled out scores from Kallum Watkins and Rhys Williams.

But the prolific Ken Sio and Deon Cross gave the Red Devils a 10-point advantage in the second half.

Jake Connor reduced the gap to four before Ryan Brierley's try sealed it.

 

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Salford Red Devils want to take their "opportunity" when they travel to Huddersfield for a Super League play-off eliminator on Saturday, says head coach Paul Rowley.

The Red Devils have defied expectations and their smaller budget to earn a top-six place this season.

Their reward is a trip to the Giants, coached by Ian Watson who led Salford to the Grand Final in 2019.

 

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Betfred Super League play-off eliminator
Huddersfield (0) 0
Salford (16) 28
Tries: Burgess, Watkins, Brierley, Ackers Goals: Sneyd 6

Salford beat Huddersfield Giants in the Super League play-off eliminator to set up a semi-final at St Helens.

The away side took charge early on through tries from Joe Burgess and Kallum Watkins.

Ryan Brierley touched down from a grubber kick as the Red Devils added to their lead and Andy Ackers sealed victory in the final minute.

 

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Salford Red Devils have signed Wigan Warriors prop Oliver Partington on a two-year deal.

The 23-year-old made 92 appearances for his hometown club and scored five tries.

 

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Salford Red Devils prop Tyler Dupree has signed a new contract with the club until the end of 2025.

 

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Salford City Council has rejected a joint bid from football club Salford City and rugby union side Sale Sharks to purchase the AJ Bell Stadium.

The council said the proposal to buy the ground did not "satisfy aspirations" for the community asset.

Sharks, along with rugby league side Salford Red Devils, are existing tenants of the 12,000-capacity venue.

They will both remain at the AJ Bell, while Salford City said they would now stay at their Peninsula Stadium home.

 

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Salford Red Devils have signed hooker Andy Ackers on a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2026.

Ackers was one of Salford's leading lights last season as the Red Devils reached the Super League semi-finals.

The 29-year-old told the club's website he was "made up to have my future sorted with Salford", describing the decision to return as a "no brainer".

 

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Betfred Super League
Salford (6) 14
Tries: Croft, Wright Goals: Sneyd 3
Castleford (6) 6
Tries: Eden Goals: Widdop

Salford Red Devils had to graft to overcome a dogged Castleford Tigers in an intense, low-scoring Super League match on home turf.

Only a late Brodie Croft try ensured the hosts were all square at the end of a first half that the Tigers dominated and led through Greg Eden's score.

Both sides had a try chalked off before Shane Wright steamed through to put Salford in front for the first time.

Marc Sneyd's late penalty goal gave Salford an unassailable two-score lead.

 

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Betfred Super League
Salford Red Devils (14) 16
Tries: Vuniyayawa, Burgess Goals: Sneyd 4
Catalans Dragons (4) 14
Tries: Johnstone, Seguier, Keighran Goal: Keighran

Salford Red Devils dramatically hung on to beat Catalans Dragons and move equal on points with the French club in the Super League table.

A King Vuniyayawa try and an 80m effort from Joe Burgess just before the break put Salford 14-4 up.

A second-half Paul Seguier score, after Tom Johnstone grabbed Dragons' only points of the first 40 minutes, got Catalans back to within six points.

Adam Keighran's failure to convert his last-minute try proved the difference.