Rhinos Rout Sends Salford Closer to the Drop

Salford slid closer towards relegation from the Super League last night with a tame performance that suggested many of their players have already accepted demotion as inevitable. They remain three points adrift of Hull KR at the bottom of the table, meaning that, even if Rovers lose all five remaining fixtures, the City Reds would have to win two out of four which, with home games against St Helens and Warrington sandwiching trips to Wigan and Harlequins, seems highly unlikely.

Leeds were sloppy for long periods but still scored nine tries, including two each for Danny McGuire and the barnstorming prop Jamie Thackray, to keep up the pressure on St Helens at the top. Ryan Hall, the powerful teenage wing, was the first to capitalize on Salford's lack of resistance inside five minutes, and the props Jamie Thackray and Kylie Leuluai added tries in the next eight - Leuluai claiming his first for the club as he experienced the unusual sensation of playing against his uncle, Phillip, who joined Salford two weeks ago.

When Keith Senior surged through some more weak defence, the Rhinos led 22-0 inside 23 minutes and, although the flow of points slowed slightly after that, it was down to Leeds complacency as much as a stiffening of Salford's resistance.

An enterprising individual try from Stuart Littler stung Leeds back into life with slick tries for McGuire and Scott Donald either side of half-time and after Salford's lively substitute Luke Dorn had capitalised on another of the Rhinos' slack periods to cross in the corner, Thackray and McGuire each scored his second with Michael Korkidas in the sin-bin.

Leeds Rhinos Tansey; Donald, Toopi, Senior, Hall; Sinfield, McGuire; Thackray, Diskin, K Leuluai, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Ellis. Interchange Lauitiiti, Scruton, Kirke, Ratu.

Salford City Reds Saxton; Hodgson, Littler, Moule, Barnett; Wilshere, Robinson; Highton, Alker, Korkidas, Coley, P Leuluai, Finnigan. Interchange Dorn, Haggerty, Nash, Turner.

Referee B Thaler (Sheffield).