A big win for Saints, and a big loss for Salford, in last weeks opening round of Super League XXI suggested that tonight's game at the A J Bell Stadium was a foregone conclusion. Saints are second favourites to end the season top of the pile, but only Wakefield are less favoured by the bookies than the Red Devils.

Kieran Cunninghams' Saints were without the services of Roby, Lomax and Burns, and with The Red Devils coach Ian Watson the latest to be in the Marwan Koukash firing line, he'd have been hoping his side could capitalise and show a vast improvement over last weeks losing performance at the KC Stadium.

But few people were prepared for what they were about to witness.

It took just three minutes for the Red Devils to open the scoring. A high Michael Dobson kick was knocked on by Saints Jack Owens, back into Dobson's hands who put in an accurate kick to the corner straight into the hands of Greg Johnson, who caught well and slid over. Josh Griffin converted for 6-0.

Four minutes later and the home side were in again as Craig Kopczak muscled his way over under the sticks. Griffin was again accurate with the boot and Saints were reeling after a dream Devils start.

On eleven it was the Red Devils third when Robert Lui benefitted from a Saints lost ball and ran thirty metres on the angle to score five in from the right corner flag. This time Michael Dobson kicked the extras for 18-0.

The Saints opened their account on the quarter hour when Alex Walmsley, just on the field from the substitute bench, pushed past two defenders to ground under the sticks and give Luke Walsh a simple two points.

After Walsh was penalised twenty from his own line for interfering at the play-the-ball, Michael Dobson kicked the penalty for 20-6.

Ten out from the interval and Richard Silverwood had little option other than to send Saints' Walsh to the sin-bin after tackling from an offside position, trying to halt a sensational Carney break.

Five minutes from the break and a brilliantly worked try saw the Red Devils further extend their lead when Niall Evalds was on hand from a Carney pass, after a great Murdoch-Masila break. The video referee was consulted when it looked like Dobson had obstructed, but he declined to over-rule the on field official. Dobson kicked the extras from out wide.

Two minutes later and Salford were running riot when a Carney run put Robert Lui free to score under the sticks. Dobson again added the two to end the perfect half for the Red Devils who went into the sheds with a sensational 32-6 lead.

What would the second half hold, a brilliant Saints fightback, or the completion of a total humiliation by the Red Devils?

The second half was only two minutes old when Adam Walne stretched out to score one-handed on the Red Devils opening attack. Dobson missed a simple looking kick.

Quarter of an hour in and Michael Dobson pushed his way to the line after throwing a dummy. Griffin failed to kick the extras but Saints now needed six converted tries with just twenty-three minutes left.

On sixty-one, a long ball wide left from John Wilkin put Adam Swift over in the corner. Luke Walsh missed the conversion but left the Red Devils lead still at an unattainable thirty points.
Four minutes from time and Niall Evalds was on hand to pick up a Lui grubber kick through to dive over. Dobson again failed to add the extras.

The final hooter came as a relief to Saints players and fans alike but Salford would have liked to have kept playing until midnight.

This was a Salford display which will have shocked everyone in the game except the Red Devils players and coaching staff. As good as Salford were, the Saints just didn't hit their stride and spent most of the game on the back foot. If Salford play like this every week, then they will give all of the other sides in the league a good run for their money.

Red Devils: O'Brien, Carney, Jones, Griffin J. (2G), Johnson (T), Lui (2T), Dobson (T, 4G), Kopczak (T), Lee, Griffin G., Murdoch-Masila, Flanagan, Lannon. Subs: Evalds (2T), Walne A. (T), Tomkins, Joseph.

Saints: Owens, Makinson, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Percival, Swift (T), Turner, Walsh (G, SB), Amor, Knowles, Tasi, Vea, Wilkins, Thompson . Subs: Walmsley (T), Richards, Savelio, Fages.

Referee: Richard Silverwood

Attendance: