Sat 13 Aug: SL: Salford Red Devils v Huddersfield Giants KO 13:00 (Channel 4)

[Dave T]

2 hours ago, Jughead said:

Salford are a great watch as a neutral and I hope they get in the play-offs and we miss out on Hull and Leeds stinking the play-offs out. 

I like watching both of these teams actually. Quite often there has been a focus on poor Wire and Leeds teams, which may be an interesting story, but it sometimes makes it look like SL is poor, but we are ignoring some of the quality that other teams provide. 

[Jughead]

10 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I like watching both of these teams actually. Quite often there has been a focus on poor Wire and Leeds teams, which may be an interesting story, but it sometimes makes it look like SL is poor, but we are ignoring some of the quality that other teams provide. 

I think the relative rarity of a Salford play-off place is influencing my opinion over Leeds. I’m bored of Hull though. Their ability to turn in a performance followed by a 60+ point hammering has long since lost its appeal.

I think there’s a good story at Salford, too. The people involved, as someone from the outside looking in, appear to be good people and they speak well and follow through with their actions and onfield their recruitment in recent years in players like Jackson Hastings, Joey Lussick, Brodie Croft and Kallum Watkins whilst also getting tunes out of players like Rhys Williams, Ken Sio, Gil Dudson, Luke Yates, Ryan Brierley and Sitaleki Akualoa isn’t spoken about enough whilst other clubs (like Warrington and Leeds and certainly others of a similar size to Salford) have recruited questionably on and off for a longer period. 

I also enjoy watching Salford as a neutral probably more than watching the current iterations of Warrington (though I do like a good comedy) and Leeds as they’re more off the cuff and exciting. 

If we can get to a position where 5th and 6th are changing annually and there’s a team (or teams) appearing in the play-offs who didn’t appear the previous year, it’s a narrative that we should make more of. We’re pretty much there now. 

[daz39]

1 hour ago, Ullman said:

I think it was quite early on in the coverage where Kyle Amor made the point that Huddersfield aren't going as well as they like to think.

Listen/read our post match interveiws from the last few weeks and this is alluded to by the club.

We haven't really played that well since the Cup Semi final way back in May, we have shown determination to come back and win games but i don't think we have played that well at all and as yesterday showed we're only a 20 point deficit away from getting a bit of a battering.

We will need to play a lot better in the coming weeks, we've been happy to pick up wins to stay in the top 4 but there will come a time when we need to actually play well too.

Edited August 14, 2022 by daz39

[Oxford]

2 hours ago, daz39 said:

Listen/read our post match interveiws from the last few weeks and this is alluded to by the club.

We haven't really played that well since the Cup Semi final way back in May, we have shown determination to come back and win games but i don't think we have played that well at all and as yesterday showed we're only a 20 point deficit away from getting a bit of a battering.

We will need to play a lot better in the coming weeks, we've been happy to pick up wins to stay in the top 4 but there will come a time when we need to actually play well too.

Not a criticism but this can be a symptom of the watto processes, more than able to compete and can always fight back, but ......

[daz39]

1 hour ago, Oxford said:

Not a criticism but this can be a symptom of the watto processes, more than able to compete and can always fight back, but ......

Yeah fair comment, i'm willing to take the risks of that at the moment though, life's not been this good for us for years so we will enjoy what we can.

[daz39]

4 hours ago, Jughead said:

I’m bored of Hull though. Their ability to turn in a performance followed by a 60+ point hammering has long since lost its appeal.

Erm...have you got a crystal ball or something?

[Oxford]

32 minutes ago, daz39 said:

Yeah fair comment, i'm willing to take the risks of that at the moment though, life's not been this good for us for years so we will enjoy what we can.

Well Watto and his systems and processes won't let you down and are likely to bring success  along the way.

[Jughead]

35 minutes ago, daz39 said:

Erm...have you got a crystal ball or something?

Do you need one with Hull anymore? Every second week you can set your clock by them. 

[idrewthehaggis]

The air was acrid, the atmosphere was boiling, the Reds were simply hot.

Rowleyball is simply attack attack attack! The limitation of the pack and the expanse pf the backs correctly prompts Salford into this.

Its undeniable.

This dry summer has keenly given SRD a platform to play on these assets. On a wet and windy day, Huddersfield's methodical game of attrition might have had more impact, but this is 2022 and this is Salford.

I won't pretend I was relaxed yesterday. First it was uncomfortable - places I didn't realise could sweat did,. It was uneasy - at no time did I feel SRD were safe from a sudden collapse.

But having seen it again on record, it is clear this is a good set of players, working well together.

I don't know if they can qualify for the play offs.

That last few games come rapidly and with a small squad, enthusiasm and valour might not be enough. But hey I expected them to be turned over against Saints and Huds and look what happened.

Next is Catalan.

Optimism is rising. But no pressure.

Everything after this is a bonus.

Somriure as they say in Perpignan.  

Edited August 14, 2022 by idrewthehaggis

[Ant]

Was at a wedding yesterday so had to watch today knowing the result.

Very disappointed, but not unexpected in the outcome, for many reasons.

1st half, Huddersfield disjointed and clunky and Salfords superb backs sliced us to ribbons - we are just missing far too many 3/4 to be consistent.

2nd half, too much to do.

Giants have 4 weeks to regain form and ramp it up, but I still think we'll be top 4.

That battle for 5&6 is fierce 

[SalfordSlim]

I watched the game back on All4 earlier today as always good to get a 2nd viewing as there's so much you miss at the match. Firstly, fair play to Liam Moore, who had a really decent game. Got pretty much everything right decision wise (except the Harvey Livett "no try" which he looked visibly embarassed about at the time). It's nce to not have any controversial decisions to debate (whinge about) for a change.

I thought we were excellent first half and fully exploited Huddersfield's weaknesses/lack of pace in the backline. Like a couple of people have said, their pack will generally mix it with the best but their backline is bang average (at best) and the Senior twins really shouldn't be anywhere near a 17 man squad for a club with top 3/4 ambitions. Watson has obviously banked on trying to bully teams into submission but they seriously need some creativity and pace to compliment the power.

Brodie's brain fart just before half-time (we weren't exactly on the rack so there was absolutely no need to lay on in the tackle) seemed to give Hudds a big boost and they came out after half time a totally different team. Coupled with our inability to finish a set for about 20 minutes and a couple of really well worked tries it made for a bit of an uncomfortable watch as it almost felt like we were trying to throw the game away. Having said that we managed to pull ourselves together and ultimately ran out pretty comfortable winners.

Whilst out backline and halves have rightly got the plaudits for some of the rugby we've played this season our pack doesn't get anywhere near the credit it deserves.

Ackers has been one of the best 9's in SL this year and the likes of Ormondroyd, Taylor & Dupree have more than matched up against some of the more vaunted packs in SL.

All in all, a great result for us with another massive test to come in Perpignan this Saturday. More Rowleyball please against a Cats team that can be got at with pace as we showed at the AJ last month.

Yours

A very contented Mr Slim (sat in Mcr airport waiting to fly out to Lloret for 10 days)

 

 

[Oxford]

Something I read about SRD taking another top scalp made me wonder if and when, as stated in the article, the Giants had moved into the top clubs bracket?

Yes they're in the top 4 and deservedly so but that would still make them them just a contender in my book and remembering why Watto deserted SRD I'd imagine he feels much the same way until the trophies start appearing in the cabinet.

 

 

[daz39]

4 hours ago, SalfordSlim said:

 

but their backline is bang average (at best)

 

To be fair our back line at best - Lolohea/Pryce, Golding/Senior, Leutele, Cudjoe, McGilvary is pretty decent - the one on Saturday was definitely our last choice one so i think that comment is a bit unfair on our 1st choice back line who have been outstanding this season.

 

Agree about the rest of your post though.

[SalfordSlim]

17 minutes ago, daz39 said:

To be fair our back line at best - Lolohea/Pryce, Golding/Senior, Leutele, Cudjoe, McGilvary is pretty decent - the one on Saturday was definitely our last choice one so i think that comment is a bit unfair on our 1st choice back line who have been outstanding this season.

 

Agree about the rest of your post though.

The problem you've got there is that McGilvary (as great a winger as he was) is way past his best and has lost a fair bit of his pace as has Cudjoe. Senior (x2) will end up playing championship RL and IMO I've never seen Golding do anything that suggests he's anything more than bog standard. Which leaves you with 2 decent quality full backs and Leutele (who by all accounts is a cracking player but in all honesty I've never seen him play so can't really have a personal opinion).

Now I may be bias but if Salford lose a couple of backs we've still got Williams, Sarginson & (to a lesser extent) Escare to come in.

If you want to give us £100k we'll let you have Matty Costello...

Edited August 15, 2022 by SalfordSlim

[daz39]

Oh we acknowledge our back line needs improvement, L.Senior is already away to Hull KR, Leutele probably to L£igh, Leroy and Jerry, as you say, are knocking on a bit and will need replacing but at the moment they are both playing very well so i'm happy to have them in the team when fit, Golding is a fantastic backup for literally any position and is a big asset to us, Innes Senior has come on leaps and bounds this year so i am happy for him to stay and develop further.

We are rumoured to have signed Bibby so that will fill 1 space, Wardle still has a chance here if he improves and stops sulking so that's another 2 but imo we need a really decent winger to replace Jerry (not that that is an easy thing to do).

[Ant]

Exactly so Daz, our back line on Saturday is our 4th choice back line

Our best backline nearly won us a cup final. 

[idrewthehaggis]

Excellent analysis Slim. 

 

[johnh1]

On 13/08/2022 at 13:46, bobbruce said:

No elbow from Ashworth it was just dumb as usual. There may have been one from Levi on Croft the tackle before not sure where the contact was. 

Just wondering if this is what he has been banned for. Does anyone know?

[Stanley30]

3 hours ago, johnh1 said:

Just wondering if this is what he has been banned for. Does anyone know?

Really? 

[Red Willow]

3 hours ago, johnh1 said:

Just wondering if this is what he has been banned for. Does anyone know?

Citation- Dangerous Contact - A defending player makes contact with an opponent after the ball has been released by an opponent in a vulnerable position which causes flexion to the head, neck or spinal column on an attacking player, which poses an unacceptable risk of injury to that player.