Super League: Salford Red Devils 6-52 St Helens

Jordan Turner and Joe Greenwood both scored braces in the nine-try victory

St Helens cruised to back-to-back wins in their defence of the Super League crown, crushing Salford with a 10-try haul at the AJ Bell Stadium.

Mark Percival, Jordan Turner, Joe Greenwood and Luke Thompson crossed in a one-sided first-half, with Ben Jones-Bishop's solo score the Salford reply.

Further tries from Tommy Makinson, Percival, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook and Greenwood maintained Saints' advantage.

Turner's second and an Andre Savelio score took the tally beyond 50 points.

Saints' total would have been greater had they not missed four of their 10 kicks.

The champions arrived at Salford having won the last nine meetings between the clubs, and having weathered an early spell of pressure they eased clear.

Salford owner Marwan Koukash revealed his frustration on Twitter after the Saints' defeat

They went ahead when quick ball released Percival to push down the right for a try after Adam Swift and Turner breaks, and Turner then finished off work from Joe Greenwood and Atelea Vea to cross on the left.

Salford were floundering as James Roby popped the ball up to Greenwood who cut a great line to score but the home side got on the board when a raking kick through was gathered by Jones-Bishop, who raced from deep through the retreating cover at pace to score.

Normal service was resumed Jon Wilkin teed up Thompson after Vea had gone close before the hooter, and after half-time Makinson flung himself in at the corner after a flowing move.

Theo Fages was held up on a rare Red Devils raid, but Saints showed greater ruthlessness when Mason Caton-Brown failed to tap a teasing Wilkin kick dead, and Percival dumped down on the ball for his second.

Salford went down to 12 with Gareth Hock sent to the sin-bin as tempers flared, and Saints capitalised when Roby again slipped the ball to Greenwood to steam over, and Turner punished weak defence to pick up his brace.

Savelio's late try for the visitors was the final act of a miserable night for Iestyn Harris's Salford, who have lost their opening two games.

Salford Red Devils head coach Iestyn Harris:

"I sensed very quickly that the attitude was not right. There was a complete lack of composure in everything we did, particularly defensively.

"I had people jumping in, turning in, turning out all over the place, it was just not what we do.

"We've got to fix it up. The attitude was all wrong and it's something we need to get to the bottom of very quickly because it's an important season. We threw three or four passes just aimlessly, you need to have patience and build pressure, we tried to come up with some big plays and you have to earn the right to do that."

St Helens head coach Keiron Cunningham:

"I couldn't have wished for anything better in the second half. I thought the young kids were brilliant and all the middles were outstanding.

"Salford threw a lot of stuff at them and their only points came from a kick.

"I've said since last year that Joe Greenwood is going to be a superstar. He's just going to get better and better. He's a level-headed kid who has got a good will to learn. He was going to go out on loan for the start of the season but after what I saw in friendlies, I just couldn't do that and I'm very glad I didn't because he's earned his stripes."

Salford Red Devils: Locke; Jones-Bishop, J. Griffin, Caton-Brown, Johnson; Chase, Dobson; Taylor, Lee, Hock, Hansen, J. Walne, Paterson.

Replacements: Fages, D. Griffin, Tasi, A. Walne.

St Helens: Lomax; Makinson, Turner, Percival, Swift; Burns, Wilkin; Masoe, Roby, Amor, Vea, Greenwood, Flanagan.

Replacements: Walmsley, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Thompson, Savelio.

Attendance: 4,975

Referee: Ben Thaler (RFL)

Mark Percival racked up 20 points in Saints' thrashing of Salford