Wetter than Marti Pellow in a monsoon

A few days on from the Leigh match and the big coat’s still drip-drying. I’d say my hair was still wet too, but I’d only be lying to myself. As supporters, have we ever been subject to such harsh conditions before? Open to the elements: torrential rain complemented by a bone-chilling wind. Well the last time I can remember getting a proper soaking was at The Boulevard, during one of our last trips there. After the game, The Boulevard Bar was like Hilda Ogden’s front room; their ‘pipes’ covered with jumpers, tops and socks. I’m sure I spotted a pair of undies too, which put me off a bit.

To beat the Hull match, you have to go back to that mid-week Batley game. I emphasise that because it is part of Salford supporters’ folklore. Imagine being plunged into a splash pool full of dry ice, then plonked onto the Mount Pleasant terracing for an hour an’ half, admist conditions a Siberian busker wouldn’t dare go. If that’s too far fetch to contemplate, let’s just say it was bloody, bloody, bloody…freezing. Previous to that game is to go before my time, but a match at Rochdale in the 70s rears its head now and again. The conditions, I’m told, were intolerable. Whether that’s a statement about the temperature or the old Althetic Ground in general, I cannot say.

We had to build an ark to get out of the place.Shaun McRae

Despite the weather, Salford allayed a few doubts about whether the preperations for Leigh weren’t up to the level required. Leigh played well in the first half, notably Ian Watson who used the wind with aplomb, kicking us to death. However, the way the Reds pulled away in the second half, on a pudding of a pitch, was impressive. An 8–24 victory, away from home, in those conditions, against the team touted as our toughest opposition—reads as pretty comprehensive. On a dry track, I’d hazard a guess Salford would have piled on more points. Though perhaps that’s a tad harsh; Leigh may be suited more to arid conditions, although we said that about Salford last year, and went down.

The weather wasn’t much better against Featherstone today. Drier, but the biting wind remained, this time aloong with a light brush of snow. Although Rovers rallied a bit in the second half, Salford always looked the stronger team. Again, without arrogance, we looked like we could have hammered them. And Featherstone are no mugs.

The first 25 minutes against Salford we were just stargazing and they went 28–0 up, which was very disappointing. But we recovered well and held them during the last 50 minutes of the game.David Hobbs, Featherstone Rovers coach

If you win both games it’s a bonus. I can’t be too unhappy with the points ratio of 66 for and 20 against.Shaun McRae

It begs the question: will this season be any tougher than 2003? Before the season, well, even last week, the quality of teams looked much improved. or rather, closer in terms of competitiveness. Yet if the Easter fixtures are any indictor: Whitehaven look to be a force on the wane, Celtic have stuttered and mightn’t be the close challengers we all though they would be; Leigh have lost their first two—admittedly against tough opposition—and Halifax, though scoring a lot, are letting in more points than Phil Taylor’s dartboard.

Mind you it is early doors and I suppose time will tell. Plus, it’s rare to truly dominate a division—even if your team are the stand-outs, a loss can come when you least expect it. Of course, it was Featherstone that turned us over at their Post Office Road base in 2003; and Doncaster were on the verge of a shock victory, only for the quick-witted Gavin Clinch to, quite literally, pinch it. Talking of that match in Donny, the weather conditions were awful there too…but at least their stand had a roof!