Jayden Nikorima inspires Salford Red Devils to first win over poor Huddersfield Giants

SALFORD RED DEVILS 23 HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS 10
KASEY SMITH, Salford Community Stadium, Thursday

SALFORD cut out the background noise as they put on a show to pull themselves off the foot of the Super League table, outclassing a weak Huddersfield side.

If you weren’t aware which side was currently facing serious problems, both on and off the field, marked by a wave of player departures and an ongoing financial crisis, you’d probably think it was Huddersfield based on this showing.

But in front of their home crowd it was Salford who came out firing, inspired by the brilliant Jayden Nikorima.

Salford sides, in recent years, have relished that underdog status and it looks like it paid off again against an ordinary Huddersfield side, who are still without victory this year and now sit rock bottom.

The Giants were themselves depleted, missing three big hitters in Jacob Gagai, Adam Clune and Tom Burgess. With their main playmakers sidelined, it was no surprise their attack play was clunky with Lolohea one of the few bright sparks.

Niall Evalds came straight into the side after joining from Hull KR, but only managed to play a lacklustre first half with a foot injury ending his night early.

Head coach Paul Rowley, aiming to get the better of his opposite number, had initially named Ryan Brierley in the halves, with Nathan Connell at fullback and Joe Shorrocks at loose-forward – but their actual positions on the field told a different story.

Contrary to the teamsheet, Brierley remained at full-back, Shorrocks occupied the dummy-half position and Connell was very much on the wing.

Some early Giants indiscipline paved the way for Salford’s first score when a quick right-field shift caught Taane Milne and Lolohea off their line with Esan Marsters capitalising to open the scoring.

The Red Devils doubled their score after Chris Hill – spotting another man off his line, this time Sam Hewitt – offloaded to the eager Harvey Wilson who flew through and brushed off fullback Evalds to score.

Giants were given an invite back in the game when Deon Cross failed to catch Lolohea’s speculative last-play kick, but after asking the questions the Red Devils came up with the answers.

The third Salford score came after a great link-up between Nikorima and Marsters, the latter of whom showed class in perfecting a split-second offload to set Ethan Ryan away and Nikorima was on hand to finish the move.

After absorbing a huge swathe of Giants pressure, it was Nikorima who delivered the killer blow with a dummy and a quick step to wrongfoot the Huddersfield line and score under the posts.

The Giants got a consolation through Adam Swift Swift before Ryan Brierley rubbed salt in the wounds with a drop-goal in the dying stages.

There was time for Lolohea to crash over for a score of his own after his persistence finally paid off, but it was too little, too late for the injury-stricken Huddersfield.

GAMESTAR: Jayden Nikorima was a real thorn in the Huddersfield side.

GAMEBREAKER: Nikorima’s line-break for Salford’s fourth try came after Huddersfield’s best period of the game.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: The Nikorima/Marsters/Ryan link-up play for Salford’s third try was first class, in particular the smooth, split-second Marsters offload.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Jayden Nikorima (Salford)
2 pts Esan Marsters (Salford)
1 pt Harvey Wilson (Salford)

MATCHFACTS
RED DEVILS
28 Nathan Connell
2 Ethan Ryan
17 Esan Marsters
12 Kallum Watkins
5 Deon Cross
1 Ryan Brierley
6 Jayden Nikorima
10 Chris Hill
14 Chris Atkin
18 Jack Ormondroyd
15 Shane Wright
24 Harvey Wilson
13 Joe Shorrocks
Subs (all used)
27 Kai Morgan
19 Justin Sangaré
20 Joe Bullock
30 Tiaki Chan
18th man (not used)
22 Matty Foster

Tries: Marsters (6), Wilson (21), Nikorima (28, 58)
Goals: Brierley 3/4
Field-goals: Brierley (74)

GIANTS
26 Niall Evalds (D)
2 Adam Swift
23 Taane Milne
3 Jake Bibby
5 Sam Halsall
4 Liam Sutcliffe
6 Tui Lolohea
18 Fenton Rogers
14 Ash Golding
15 Matty English
11 Jack Murchie
12 Sam Hewitt
21 Leroy Cudjoe
Subs (all used)
19 Tom Deakin
8 Oliver Wilson
13 Harry Rushton
25 Jack Billington
18th man (not used)
30 Jack Bibby
Also in 21-man squad
24 Aidan McGowan
28 Connor Carr
29 George Flanagan