Sixth entertained tenth when Castleford travelled to Salford, hoping to get their season properly under way ad build on last week's close - and tough - fought win over neighbours Wakefield.
Their hosts, too, were hoping to get their season on a consistent track, having recorded just four wins in the eight rounds so far, compared to the Tigers' two.
One-club veteran Adam Milner started at loose forward for Cas replacing the suspended Joe Western.
The visitors' interim coach Andy Last had more than this game on his mind, though, as the club confirmed that he would be interviewed for the permanent coaching job tomorrow - the last of the applicants to put his case.
Paul Rowley, the man managing the hosts, found his and his players' motivation in the team's unfancied nature despite the work done developing players.
And on the field, they have scored almost twice as many tried in the previous eight rounds as the Fords' 15.
The Tigers kicked off and gave the Red Devils first use of the ball
But it was the visitors who got the first score: an early penalty for a high tackle by Mark Sneyd saw Lawler break the line and get the ball out to Greg Eden lurking on the wing with intent. He raced up the left touchline to score his 99th try. Gareth Widdop's conversion took the score to 6-0 in the Black and Amber team's favour.
Salford did their best to hit back with 10 minutes of sustained pressure on the Castleford line, but without scoring against a team who held more than half the possession in the opening quarter of an hour.
The Ford kept their advantage in possession but handling errors crept into their game as the half-hour mark approached leading to Sneyd almost scoring and equalising try on 23 minutes, before video referee Liam Moore confirmed an on-field no-try call from his brother Aaron, the on-field ref.
Minutes later Salford came close to scoring again, but lost out to a combination of a Niall Evalds tackle and a Salford dropped ball - followed by a Tigers dropped ball in the following set as the error count built for both sides.
But in the final five minutes of the half, Callum Watkins ran across the line for Salford and passed out to Ryan Brierley on the wing who ran 20-30m down the line before kicking in field into space for Brody Croft to pick up the ball and trot in under the post.
Sneyd levelled the score with just three minutes to go.
Eden almost looked to restore the Tigers' league with a spectacular touchline putdown, but Aaron Moore and his touch-judge spotted a foot straying onto the whitewash and the the teams went into the changing rooms with the score level.
The second half opened with more errors from Castleford in their own 10m - knocking on and bing caught offside to give away a scrum and a penalty, and another penalty leading to a near try ruled out only by a Salford knock-on in picking up a loose ball.
Ten minutes into the half Liam Moore was called into make a decision again and confirm another no-try decision by his brother that Evalds lost the ball over the line as he was tackled by Sneyd under the Salford posts.
But with the 60th minute approaching, Shane Wright took advantage of defence breaking moe play by Sneyd by scoring under the posts, for Sneyd himself to add the extras and take the score to 12-6.
Then as the 70 minute mark approached, Cas gave away threepenalties: first for a ball steal, then Milner tackled a man without the ball in front of their own ball, which Sneyd kicked from 30m out.
To compound the poor period, Milner repeated the offence in the Red Devils' red zone.
The errors continued as the game would down and Salford recorded two wins on the trot.
In a game that saw both teams commit mistake after effort after offence in a match that saw occasional flashes of improvement but fail at basic.
That was particularly the case for Castleford and it's difficult to see where the change will come from whatever the result of the recruitment process reaching its conclusion today.
Salford Red Devils: Brierley; Sio, Cross (T), Costello, Burgess; Croft (T), Sneyd (2G, P); Dupree, Ackers, Vuniyayawa, Watkins, Stone, Partington. Subs: Ormondroyd, Atkins, Addy, Wright (T). 18th Man: Longstaff.
Castleford Tigers: Evalds; Eden (T), Turner, Broadbent, Faraimo; Widdop (G), Miller; Massey, McShane, Lawler, Edwards, Mellor, Milner, Subs: Griffin, Smith, Hall, Johnson. 18th Man: Fonua.
Half Time: 6-6.
Full Time: 14-6.
Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, 4-6, 6-6. HT. 10-6, 12-6, 14-6
Lead Exchanges: Castleford - level - Salford.
Referee: Aaron Moore.