Salford hold off Leeds to strengthen play-off bid

Betfred Super League

Salford (12) 22

Tries: Watkins 2, Mellor Goals: Sneyd 5

Leeds (16) 16

Tries: Frawley, Edgell, Croft Goals: Martin 2

Salford edged past Leeds to bolster their play-off ambitions and dent the Rhinos' hopes of making the top six.

Matt Frawley and Alfie Edgell sent Leeds 12-0 up after Tim Lafai's early sin-binning, before Kallum Watkins hit back following Rhyse Martin's yellow card.

Brodie Croft extended the Rhinos lead, but Watkins' second in an entertaining first half cut the gap to 16-12 at the break.

Joe Mellor's try and three Marc Sneyd goals gave Salford a deserved lead before the hosts withstood late pressure to seal victory.

Only Wigan have won away at the Salford Community Stadium this season, and a ninth Super League home win of the campaign lifted the Red Devils up to fourth and gave them a six-point buffer in the play-offs with seven games left.

For Leeds, in seventh, a fifth away defeat from six in a stuttering campaign leaves them four points outside the top six.

Rhinos crumble as Salford up the pace

Kallum Watkins' two first-half tries doubled the Salford skipper's try tally for the season

Salford lost Tim Lafai to the sin-bin in just the third minute for a high tackle on Miller and Leeds quickly took advantage.

Within 45 seconds, Frawley's dummy gave him space to race in, and moments later Paul Momirovski's powerful break created a two-on-one on Salford's left edge, giving Edgell a clear run to the line.

As Lafai returned, it was Salford's turn for a one-man advantage as Martin, having booted Leeds into a 12-0 lead, was sent to the bin for a dangerous tackle.

The hosts duly cashed in as Watkins burst through from close range against his former side, but Croft raced to the right corner from 30 metres to put the 12-man Rhinos two tries clear.

Salford came again before the break and cut the gap once more when Watkins burst on to a scoring pass at pace to power over.

Video referee Jack Smith chalked off Nene Macdonald's score to deny Salford a half-time lead, but the hosts upped the intensity after the break and Leeds struggled to live with the pace.

They finally overcame determined Rhinos defence when Jayden Nikorima broke through two challenges and teed up Mellor to finish, with Sneyd's 56th-minute conversion putting Salford ahead for the first time.

The half-back booted over a penalty before James Bentley became the third man to be sent to the bin, pinged for a high tackle on Joe Shorrocks.

Sneyd's long-range penalty further turned the screw, but the half-back and Shorrocks both missed drop-goals to take Salford two scores clear.

The 12-man Rhinos had looked drained, but somehow responded late on, with Croft going close after a thrilling break, but Salford held out for a huge win.

Post-match reaction

Salford Red Devils head coach Paul Rowley told BBC Radio Manchester:

"We had to dig deep at times, we had adversity at times. It was very evenly contested, especially in the first half.

"I just think we edged them on territory and that continued throughout the game and was probably the difference in the end.

"Execution was the difference in the first half and we nailed that in the second half. I thought we were really good today, really special and it was a great game.

"Our fixture list is really tricky and daunting, but our first 20 rounds were tricky and we're sat here in a position where we're the master of our own destiny, so we can't ask for any more than that."

Leeds Rhinos head coach Brad Arthur told BBC Radio Leeds:

"Effort-wise it was very good. Plenty of fight and turning up for each other, but there were still a lot of silly things.

"Too many errors, penalties, sin-bins, a lot of unprofessional bits and pieces of our game which then leads to frustration, and under frustration we're not making clear decisions with the ball.

"We have to learn how to build the game and when we get an opportunity we have to stick to what we practise during the week, be patient and make sure we get some completions.

"It's tough but there's still plenty of footie to be played and we're not going to give in the fight."

Salford: Brierley, Ryan, Macdonald, Lafai, Cross, Nikorima, Sneyd, Singleton, Shorrocks, Lewis, Stone, Watkins, Partington.

Interchanges: Wright, Hankinson, Mellor, Bullock.

Sin-bin: Lafai (3).

Leeds: Miller, Edgell, Momirovski, Newman, Handley, Croft, Frawley, Oledzki, Ackers, Sangare, McDonnell, Martin, Smith.

Interchanges: O'Connor, Lisone, Donaldson, Bentley.

Sin-bin: Martin (14), Bentley (65).

Referee: Tom Grant.