Salford Red Devils have gained their first victory of the season with a hard-fought 24-16 victory over Toronto Wolfpack at the A J Bell Stadium today, finally pulling away from their Canadian vistors with two unconverted tries in the final six minutes.
With Sonny Bill Williams starting the game in the second row for the Wolfpack, the Canadians were the first to score when Gary Wheeler, who had replaced the injured Joe Mellor, touched down after 18 minutes.
Blake Wallace was unable to convert the try and the Red Devils finally took the lead through Kevin Brown’s first try for the club on 28 minutes, which was converted by Tui Lolohea.
Just before the interval there was a flare-up that led to yellow cards for Kris Welham and Hakim Maloudi.
In the opening ten minutes of the second half the Red Devils established what looked like a decisive 16-4 lead with tries from Lolohea and a long-distance effort from Rhys Williams, with Lolohea converting his own try.
But the Wolfpack were in no mood to surrender, and they fought back to level the scores with tries from Wheeler, who went over for his second, and Leeds Rhinos recruit Brad Singleton, with Wallace converting both of them.
But the Red Devils had more in the tank, and were able to grab victory with late unconverted tries from Dan Sarginson and Niall Evalds to get them off the mark in Super League, while the Wolfpack have now lost two out of two.
Red Devils: Evalds, Sio, Welham, Sarginson, Williams, Lolohea, Brown, Mossop, Jones, Dudson, Greenwood, McCarthy, Burke; Subs: Ikahihifo, Yates, Lussick, Pauli.
Tries: Brown, Lolohea, Williams, Sarginson, Evalds Goals: Lolohea 2
Wolfpack: Wallace, Russell, Leutele, Miloudi, Kay, Mellor, McCrone, Springer, Cunningham, Singleton, Williams, Olbison, Wilkin; Subs: Sidlow, Mullally, Thompson, Wheeler.
Tries: Wheeler 2, Singleton Goals: Wallace 2
A full report and photos from this game will feature in Monday’s League Express.