While the Huddersfield are playing for nothing more than pride on 2024, the would take great pleasure in plunging the Salford Red Devils deeper into angst about whether they would make the top six at the end of the season as they try to hold their spot with the weakest of the points differences amongst the five sides competing for three berths.
Both sides have lost three of their last five games and the Red Devils were handicapped by just four points on the coupon illustrating the difficulty that the bookies were having picking out a winner.
The early evening sun welcomed the two sides to the field for an interesting fixture.
It took Salford just nine minutes to get their opening try after a fantastic break from Nene Macdonald who passed to Jayden Nikorima to go another twenty metres and pass inside to Chris Atkin to canter in under the sticks. Marc Sneyd added the conversion, the home side up and running.
A careless swinging arm from Andre Savelio, on a falling Logan Lewis, saw the Huddersfield man yellow carded. Within a minute Ryan Brierley collected and grounded a Sneyd grubber kick just short of the dead ball line. Sneyd was on target again for 12-0.
Great work from Deon Cross, picking up a loose ball and breaking a tackle before passing outside to Brierley who went down the wing and improved the angle for Sneyd’s conversion. The Salford kicker added a third goal of the afternoon for an 18-0 lead, the point looking in the bag at a very early point in the game.
The score was extended by two points on thirty-three thanks to the boot of Sneyd with a penalty from forty-two metres.
Nikorima improved the scoreline further on thirty-six with a move over fifty metres as Salford had an embarrassment of riches on attendance to complete a rolling move downfield with Huddersfield at sixes and sevens. Sneyd kicked his fifth goal of the evening for 26-0. As the hooter warmed up, Nikorima went in for his second in four minutes as he evaded Giants tackles to weave his way through the defensive line. Sneyd was again on target and Salford were 32-0 ahead at the interval.
Just over two minutes after the restart the Red Devils were in again after a Sneyd cross field kick went to ground and was collected by Kallum Watkins who passed out to Ethan Ryan to fly over in the corner. Sneyd missed for the first time in the game.
Three minutes later Harvey Wilson found some space for a forty-metre canter to the line, scoring by the left upright and making the Sneyd conversion a formality for 42-0.
Olly Russell was sin-binned on fifty-one for slowing down the play the ball after a Nene Macdonald break. Salford took full advantage three minutes later when Macdonald found space down the centre to run the angle and arc over to score the eighth Red Devils try of the evening.
It was way too easy for Salford when they went in again on fifty-seven, Sneyd being one of four players who could have finished off a Brierley break from inside his own half when he took the pass twenty out. Sneyd added the conversion, Salford through the fifty with no response.
Huddersfield grabbed some pride for the Giants on the hour mark, Sam Hewitt taking the pass, running the line and spinning out of the tackle to score. Tui Lolohea was unable to add the conversion, the Giants still fifty points adrift.
It was brief respite. Brierley completed his hat-trick on sixty-five as fast hands saw Watkins the provider again for the full back to go through a big gap to ground. Sneyd kicked his tenth try of the game for 60-4, nothing short of a drubbing.
A Fenton Rodgers try and Lolohea conversion from under the sticks moved the Giants into double figures on seventy-four, Salford frustrated that they had leaked a couple of tries after dominating the game so entirely.
Salford have spoken, and they have said that they will be in the play-offs come the end of the season. It was a sensational performance from the home side, admittedly against an awful and clueless Huddersfield Giants, but one which puts them back with a positive points difference and well and truly in the mix for a play-off place and possibly a finish in fourth spot. The Giants were simply playing for pride but failed to find any as they capitulated in an embarrassing manner in a game where they should have provided a worthy opposition.
Salford Red Devils: Brierley (3T), Ryan (T), MacDonald (T), Hankinson, Cross, Nikorima (2T), Sneyd (T, 10/11 G), Singleton, Mellor, Lewis, Wright, Watkins, Atkin (T). Subs: Bourouh, Shorrocks, Wilson (T), Bullock. 18th Man: Hellewell.
Huddersfield Giants: Connor, McGowan, Bibby, Naiqama, Halsall, Lolohea (1/2 G), Russell (SB on 51), Hill, Golding, Savelio (SB on 12), Hewitt (T), Rushton, Cudjoe. Subs: Rush, Ikahihifo, English, Rogers (T). 18th Man: Greenwood.
Half-Time: 32-0.
Full-Time: 60-10.
Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, (SB), 10-0, 12-0, 16-0, 18-0, 20-0, 24-0, 26-0, 30-0, 32-0 : HT: 36-0, 40-0, 42-0, (SB), 46-0, 48-0, 52-0, 54-0, 54-0, 54-4, 58-4, 60-4, 60-8, 60-10 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Salford.
Referee: Marcus Griffiths.
