Salford beat Giants for first Super League win

Salford Red Devils pair Ryan Brierley and Jayden Nikorima celebrate — Jayden Nikorima (right) has scored five tries in five games for Salford Red Devils this season [SWPix]

Betfred Super League

Salford (16) 23

Tries: Marsters, Wilson, Nikorima 2 Goals: Brierley 3 Drop-goal: Brierley

Huddersfield (0) 10

Tries: Swift, Lolohea Goal: Sutcliffe

Salford Red Devils put their off-field issues behind them as they comfortably beat fellow strugglers Huddersfield Giants for their first Super League win of the season.

Esan Marsters battered his way over to send Salford ahead and Harvey Wilson did well to barge in for Salford's second try within 20 minutes.

A stunning Salford move saw Jayden Nikorima touch down for their third of the half and he added a second after the break with ease as the hosts took control and never looked back.

Ryan Brierley added an audacious drop-goal in between Adam Swift and Tui Lolohea managing to spare winless Huddersfield's blushes with a pair of tries before the hooter.

Their first victory in five league matches was a much needed restbite for the Red Devils who have been plagued with financial issues of late.

That uncertainty has seeped its way into first-team matters, leading to Paul Rowley's side losing their first four games including a record 82-0 defeat at St Helens in the season opener.

Yet they were good value for their victory, which started after Marsters scored his first Super League try of the season when he weaved his way through to the line to get the hosts going.

Salford weathered a Huddersfield offensive storm after getting on the scoreboard but went 10-0 up midway through the first half as former Giants prop Chris Hill put in the offload for Wilson to touch down.

The Red Devils' best was still to come as they shifted the ball with speed from deep inside their own half, as Ethan Ryan gained significant ground before teeing up Nikorima to go in unopposed.

Huddersfield's poor half was perhaps best summed up by a move right before half-time which saw Sam Halsall fumble Niall Evalds' promising pass to him on the wing, with the ball eventually rolling in to touch.

Evalds was unable to continue for the second half due to a foot injury and Halsall almost atoned for his earlier error but Salford hooker Chris Atkin thwarted his efforts in trying to ground a high kick for what would have been Huddersfield's first try.

Yet for all the visitors' effort at the start of the second half, it was Salford who extended their lead courtesy of Nikorima racing past the Giants' defence to score in fine fashion and bring his tally to five tries for the season.

Swift kept up his own fine try-scoring form with a his fourth in as many games and Lolohea touched down under the posts but it was much too little, much too late on a poor night for the visitors as they sank to a fifth consecutive defeat in Super League and sixth in all competitions.

Salford: Connell; Ryan, Marsters, Watkins, Cross; Brierley, Nikorima; Hill, Atkin, Ormondroyd, Wright, Wilson, Shorrocks.

Interchanges: Morgan, Sangare, Bullock, Chan.

Huddersfield: Evalds; Swift, Milne, Bibby, Halsall; Lolohea, Sutcliffe; Rogers, Golding, English, Hewitt, Murchie, Cudjoe.

Interchanges: Deakin, Rushton, Wilson, Billington.

Referee: Tom Grant.

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