Super League: Salford Red Devils 0-19 Huddersfield Giants

Danny Brough has made 14 appearances for Huddersfield so far this season

Danny Brough starred as Huddersfield moved up to fourth in Super League and sent Salford to their fifth consecutive defeat in a bad-tempered match.

The half-back set up Jamie Ellis's try after Leroy Cudjoe had given the Giants the lead with just six minutes gone.

Brough also played a part in Kyle Wood's try and kicked seven points.

Huddersfield's Scott Grix and Salford's Weller Hauraki were sin-binned, while plastic beer glasses were thrown from the crowd onto the pitch.

Before the game, Giants coach Paul Anderson said he felt his side had a score to settle following a similarly feisty affair between the two sides last month after which Rangi Chase received a seven-match ban for a dangerous tackle on Huddersfield's Brett Ferres.

Tempers flared on 23 minutes when full-back Grix and second rower Hauraki clashed over the dead-ball line and were sin-binned. Other players joined in the melee, which wheeled towards the crowd, and two plastic beer glasses were thrown on to the pitch.

Salford forward Adrian Morley was also placed on report for an alleged headbutt in a match which Brough dominated from start to finish.

Huddersfield extended their unbeaten run to four in Super League

Torrential rain made for slippery conditions and it was Salford's Ben Jones-Bishop who made the first error, spilling a Brough kick, which allowed Cudjoe to go over in the corner.

Brough's chip-and-chase then took Huddersfield up the field before he passed out wide to Ellis to finish off the move with the visitors' second try.

Salford continued to struggle to get hands on the ball and following the double sin-binning, a miserable first half for the Red Devils was rounded off by Brough kicking another penalty after Salford were hauled up for stealing the ball.

His drop-goal extended the lead, and the scoring was completed when Wood created a chance with a dummy pass close to the line and went over to score himself.

With five minutes left Salford thought they were on the scoreboard, but Grix was denied when the video referee adjudged Caton-Brown had knocked-on in the build-up.

The defeat leaves Salford eighth but was the perfect confidence-boost for Huddersfield ahead of their sixth round Challenge Cup match against Leeds next Saturday.

Salford head coach Iestyn Harris:

"It's very frustrating. We conceded to two or three Danny Brough kicks which was disappointing for us but I thought the attitude was good from the players defensively.

"With ball in hand we've a lot to work on. It's difficult when you've got one half-back. Theo (Fages) is a 20-year-old kid who is earning his stripes in the game.

"He's a terrific player and he's going to be an absolute gem of a player as he goes forward but playing on your own as a half is always going to be difficult.

"We just got to the wrong field positions at times and looked very predictable at times.

"I think it's the first game we've gone without losing anybody, which is a positive for us."

Huddersfield coach Paul Anderson:

"Salford worked their socks off. I've been accused of being disrespectful towards them but I can only give them credit for what they've done.

"With the players they have missing, any team is going to struggle but they definitely work hard for each other and it's been there for a few weeks. You can't question their effort.

"It was an absolute dire game, It was a good job I said some things and upset a few fans because, other than that, the game was pretty poor.

"The conditions didn't help. It's a good job we created some spice before the game."

Salford: Evalds, Jones-Bishop, Gildart, Caton-Brown, Johnson, Fages, G. Griffin, Taylor, Godwin, D. Griffin, J. Walne, Hauraki, Hansen.

Replacements: Hood, Morley, Tasi, A. Walne.

Huddersfield: Grix, McGillvary, Cudjoe, Connor, Murphy, Brough, Wood, Crabtree, Ellis, Huby, Wardle, Hughes, Ta'ai.

Replacements: Lawrence, Kopczak, Mullally, Leeming.

Referee: Robert Hicks (RFL)