SALFORD 29 BATLEY BULLDOGS 28
ANDY WILSON, CorpAcq Stadium, Sunday

WHAT A SCRIPT this was!

Leon Hayes, who has suffered so many injury blows since making such an impact with Warrington in 2024, marked his Salford debut after a loan move last week by striking a 40-yard field-goal with 90 seconds remaining to secure a second consecutive victory in the 2026 Salford rebuild.

Hayes was one of five new loanees who boosted Salford’s team, three of them from Warrington. All five made a positive impact in a match of ten tries and seven changes of lead, with Tom McKinney surging over for their third try, Zack Gardiner excellent at left centre, Kieran Dixon good value as ever at fullback and his Oldham club-mate Ewan Moore threatening from the backrow.

The much more settled Batley team had their chance to secure the points two minutes before Hayes’s clincher, after Jack Hudson scored in the right corner to bring the scores level at 28-all.

Ben Reynolds, who had landed conversions to their previous four tries and enjoyed renewing acquaintances with the Salford supporters behind the posts, seemed a decent bet to curl over a cruel killer blow.

But the veteran was just off target, allowing Hayes to grab the glory – and lift Salford towards a mid-table position that must have seemed a pipedream when they threw a squad together just in time to kick off in January.

Salford made a dream start courtesy of their captain Brad Dwyer, who charged down Reynolds’ clearing kick, toed the ball ahead and was awarded a penalty try by referee Aaryn Belafonte as he was prevented from touching down. Dixon’s first touch as a Salford player was the simplest of conversions.

The Bulldogs responded strongly and appeared set to take control with two tries inside four minutes establishing a 12-6 lead.

First Ronan Dixon crashed over, then the impressive fullback Robbie Butterworth caught Salford’s inside defence napping with a series of left-foot steps.

But Salford showed the character that has been a constant of their season to have much the better of the remainder of the first half, scoring two more tries of their own to lead 16-12 – and fluffing a couple of other chances.

Keane Gilford finished brilliantly in the left corner for the first and although Dixon was unable to add an equalising conversion, it wasn’t long before the rangy McKinney was stretching over from Dwyer’s short pass.

Nyle Flynn surged over for the first try of the second half with Reynolds’ conversion nudging the Bulldogs back in front, but on 57 minutes a superb Dixon kick-return set up the position for Dwyer to punish sloppy Batley defence from acting-half and Salford led again.

The nip and tuck continued as Batley’s captain Alistair Leak earned a penalty and the position for Ben White to step through some tired attempted tackles, with Reynolds goaling again for a 24-22 lead.

But before long Salford were pressing again and Dwyer ignored numbers on the left to send Jack Bibby plunging between the posts.

They couldn’t hold on to that lead, as good work from Reynolds and Flynn sent Hudson over for his equaliser. But Reynolds missed his kick, Hayes landed his, and Salford celebrated with vigour – understandably, after all the club endured last year.

GAMESTAR: Brad Dwyer scored two of Salford’s tries and provided the final pass for two more.

GAMEBREAKER: Leon Hayes’ 79th-minute field-goal.

MATCHFACTS

SALFORD
39 Kieran Dixon
5 Jack Holmes
12 Ollie Garmston
31 Zack Gardner
38 Keane Gilford
7 Toby Hughes
6 Leon Hayes
37 Jack Bibby
9 Brad Dwyer
8 Sam Bowring
33 Ewan Moore
26 Reece Stanton
10 Owen Haldenby
Subs (all used)
14 Fin Yates
36 Danny Lynch
42 Shaun Costello
43 Tom McKinney

Tries: Dwyer (2 pen, 57), Gilford (23), McKinney (27), Bibby (70)
Goals: Dixon 4/5
Field-goals: Hayes (79)

BULLDOGS
1 Robbie Butterworth
2 Joe Burton
20 Jack Hudson
23 Felix Ellis
25 Derrell Olpherts
6 Ben Reynolds
7 Josh Woods
17 Liam Kirk
9 Alistair Leak
27 Ronan Dixon
11 Dane Manning
15 Nyle Flynn
18 Evan Hodgson
Subs (all used)
13 Robson Stevens
14 Ben White
24 Akim Matvejev
– Cain Robb

Tries: Dixon (9), Butterworth (12), Flynn (48), White (62), Hudson (76)
Goals: Reynolds 4/5

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-6, 6-12, 10-12, 16-12; 16-18, 22-18, 22-24, 28-24, 28-28, 29-28

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Salford: Brad Dwyer; Bulldogs: Nyle Flynn

Penalty count: 3-6
Half-time: 16-12
Referee: Aaryn Belafonte
Attendance: 1,873