Salford coach Paul Rowley will call on his side to take up from where they left off at Wakefield when they head to Warrington on Thursday aiming to add to the Wolves’ woe.
Daryl Powell’s team has suffered four successive Super League losses – plus Challenge Cup elimination – and the Red Devils’ coach is seeking a victory tonic ahead of follow-up clashes with Catalans (at home on Easter Monday), Wigan (away on Sunday, April 24) and St Helens (away on Friday 29).
Like Warrington, Salford have six points after seven league rounds, but have picked up just one win in five (they also went out of the Challenge Cup at the sixth-round stage).
Rowley has had to contend with the loss of a trio of key players, with centre Dan Sarginson (shoulder) and second rower James Greenwood (ankle) out for the season and Australian backrower Shane Wright (hamstring) facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
And he has bemoaned his side’s defending in recent weeks, with a concession of 178 points the third-worst in the competition behind Castleford (186) and Toulouse (211).
But he saw encouragement in the second-half performance at Wakefield, who led 24-4 at the break but were made to fight for their eventual 30-24 victory at the Be Well Support Stadium.
Winger Ken Sio crossed twice to take his season’s try haul to ten (the highest in Super League alongside St Helens’ Tommy Makinson) while his fellow winger Rhys Williams added a second after his first-half score.
“I was proud of their efforts, but we’re not going to give cuddles out for digging in – it’s about winning,” said Rowley.
“The gap in fixtures means we’ve been able to rest up, and we’ll have a good spell of preparation for Warrington.
“They will be fired up and desperate to get a win themselves, but we don’t fear anyone, and we know we’re capable.”
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