A victory over Hull FC would confirm Salford Red Devils in the top six play-offs for the end of season jamboree and would also lift them up to fourth in the table, two points clear of St Helens with one game of the regular season to play. Hull FC, on the other hand, were still looking to avoid the wooden spoon and a win on the road would be only their four victory in a woeful season but would see them favourites to avoid finishing in twelfth spot.
Salford were massive favourites with the bookies, the Airlie Birds given no chance of scraping the win and embarrassing their hosts, the Red Devils expected to rack up a big winning margin.
The game was just four minutes old when the predictable happened and Salford took the lead, Tim Lafai taking the pass wide, stepping off the left foot and going past his man to drop over the line to score. Marc Sneyd missed the mark with is first conversion attempt of the afternoon, but in the certainly that it wouldn’t be his last opportunity.
Logan Moy knocked on a swirling Sneyd bomb on nine minutes and on the next play Deon Cross took the final pass to crash over the Hull line to ground. Sneyd hit the target this time for 10-0, the Hull fans getting flashbacks to last weeks demolition at the hands of the Leeds Rhinos.
Just before the twenty-minute mark Joe Mellor scooted from dummy half for a ten-metre score under the uprights. Sneyd kicked the simplest of conversions for 16-0, the traffic was only going in one direction.
On twenty-four Salford scored their fourth try, Brad Singleton taking the ball at first receiver and crashing over the line from five metres for a traditional forwards try. Sneyd made it three from four, the Red Devils back in the groove.
A loose pass from Hull on thirty-three went into the hands of Lafai who accepted the invitation to sprint sixty metres and score under the sticks. It was another simple Sneyd conversion for 28-0. Salford were devastating, Hull were dreadful.
After an age of consulting with the video referee Moy had a try turned down just four minutes into the second half for an offside and two minutes later Nene Macdonald powered over the line after Hull had knocked on a Sneyd high bomb. Sneyd added another two points for 34-0 after forty-seven minutes.
Salford were starting to have fun. Shane Wright picked up a bounce pass on fifty for a walk-in try with the Red Devils having a three man overlap to the left of the play. Sneyd added another to his ever-increasing tally, FC receiving another big beating.
Kallum Watkins joined the scoring party on fifty-five, outpacing three Hull defenders to score in the corner, Sneyd hit the target from the touchline, his seventh try of the night.
Brilliant hands from Salford, rolling the ball down the left-hand side, saw Lafai complete his hat-trick in the first sixty minutes as they brought up fifty points which put Hull FC bottom of the table on points difference, before of the Broncos game in France to be played later. Sneyd added the goal.
Hull finally broke their duck on sixty-six when Shorrocks was unable to take a pass, Jack Walker the provider to Zach Jebson to go in from ten metres out. Jack Charles was unable to convert but the home side on the board.
Mellor got his second on seventy-seven after the Hull tackler went too high close to the line, Sneyd was again on target for 58-4, the most comfortable of wins which confirms Salford in the top six, now just a matter of settling their final position with their final outing next weekend against the Wigan Warriors.
Hull FC ended the game in bottom spot in the table and will be looking for a win against the Catalans Dragons to avoid the ignominy of the wooden spoon.
Hull FC: Moy, Barron, Litten Chamberlain, Martin, Charles (0/1) G), Walker, Ese’ese, Smith, Gardiner, Lane, Fash, Aydin. Subs: Ashworth, Balmforth, Chan, Jebson (T). 18th Man: Laidlaw.
Salford Red Devils: Brierley, Ryan, Macdonald (T), Lafai (3T), Cross (T), Nikorima, Sneyd (9/10 G), Singleton (T), Mellor (2T), Dudson, Wright (T), Watkins (T), Partington. Subs: Lewis, Shorrocks, Hankinson, Bullock. 18th Man: Atkin.
Half-Time: 0-28.
Full-Time: 4-58.
Score Progression: 0-4, 0-8, 0-10, 0-14, 0-16, 0-20, 0-22, 0-26, 0-28 : HT: 0-32, 0-34, 0-38, 0-40, 0-44, 0-46, 0-50, 0-52, 4-52, 4-56, 4-58 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Salford.
Referee: Aaron Moore.
