Super League: Salford Red Devils 44-12 St Helens - Champions stunned by Salford

Salford's crisp execution left Saints stunned, as they repeatedly hit them on an edge

Salford Red Devils stunned Super League leaders and reigning champions St Helens with an eight-try demolition that took them into the top six.

The Red Devils brilliantly built up a 26-0 lead at half-time with tries from Sitaleki Akauola, Joe Burgess, Dan Sarginson and Kallum Watkins.

Burgess, Watkins, Greg Burke and Brodie Croft crossed again to make sure of a remarkable and unexpected victory.

Jack Welsby and Alex Walmsley scored Saints' two consolation tries.

Almost as concerning as the defeat for Saints will have been the loss of playmaker Jonny Lomax to a head injury assessment. He later appeared on the bench on an exercise bike, while winger Regan Grace also limped off after the final hooter.

Few would have backed a win for Salford given the largely relentless nature of Saints in 2022, but they unpicked their gameplan brilliantly thanks to coach Paul Rowley's set-up - and their reward is to leapfrog Hull and Leeds in standings.

This was no defensive blockade, spoiling their fluid opponents' attack. Rather than take on the powerful Saints pack through the middle, Salford went wide, targeting the unfamiliar partnership of Konrad Hurrell and Jon Bennison.

Akauola's try was a straightforward barge over after smart work from Croft, but after that it was a dazzling display, notably from centre Tim Lafai to supply Burgess with two scores with sublime hands.

Croft also floated a glorious pass to Ken Sio who put a rampaging Watkins in, and finished off a flowing length-of-the-field break, while pressure told from persistent probing close to the line for tries by Burke and Watkins' second.

Kristian Woolf has seldom had such a tough afternoon since taking over from Justin Holbrook as head coach, as Saints were never allowed to maximise their control of the middle.

Errors undermined their early efforts to build a platform and the inability to control Salford's wide attack saw the game swiftly edge away from them.

Welsby's try was well-finished after a break from deep, while Walmsley battered over from close range with Salford's Elijah Taylor in the sin-bin.

They still have a four-point lead at the top over Wigan, but their points difference has been eroded by this scoreline.

Salford: Sarginson; Sio, Cross, Lafai, Burgess; Croft, Sneyd; Akauola, Ackers, Ormondroyd, Taylor, Watkins, Gerrard

Interchanges: Atkins, Burke, Luckley, Lannon

St Helens: Welsby; Bennison, Hurrell, Davies, Grace; Lomax, Roby; Walmsley, Lussick, Lees, Sironen, Batchelor, Knowles

Interchanges: McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Paasi, Wingfield, Bell

Referee: Jack Smith.

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