Hull KR 24 Salford 22 - Tony Smith praise for battling Robins

Yesterday’s absorbing Super League game between Hull KR and Salford Red Devils – which saw Jamie Ellis’s 80th-minute penalty dramatically clinch victory for the Robins – was a perfect case in point.

The Super League contest almost did not even go ahead after Salford suffered the sort of build-up which would be catastrophic at the best of times let alone just four days out from a first Challenge Cup final appearance in 51 years.

Luckless coach Ian Watson saw two players ruled out after receiving the news no one wanted so close to that Wembley meeting with Leeds Rhinos: positive Covid test results.

Two more players were told to self-isolate due to inconclusive results while, remarkably, Watson also lost two further players yesterday morning during the briefest of training sessions.

All that kerfuffle, understandably, saw kick-off put back an hour until 3pm as Salford desperately tried to get ready.

In total, the Red Devils – on a five-game winning run – were without a dozen players but the game went ahead to “preserve the integrity of the competition”.

Bottom-placed Rovers were glad it did given, in contrast, it eventually ended their five-match losing sequence and dramatically secured only their third Super League win of the year.

The East Yorkshire club were not without disruption themselves but, fittingly, their club captain Mose Masoe was on hand in the stands to witness the rare success. It was the first live game the former prop has attended since suffering his career-ending spinal injury in January.

Robins head coach Tony Smith said: “Mose’s a real inspiration,

“All the boys love him. He came over on the bus with us and we’ve just waited until he’s finished some interviews so he can sing the song with us.

“He’s had a huge impact on us this year and he continues to help us and influence in the right way.”

Smith, who only told Jordan Abdull he would be playing the unusual position of centre when on the bus, added: “I changed my team four times since yesterday.

“I’m glad we won because I can say these are hard circumstances and it’s hats off to all the players involved and many of the staff as well. I wasn’t even sure I was going to be able to come today. I only got cleared (test) this morning.”

Rovers, who scored tries via Mikey Lewis, Ben Crooks, Abdull and a rare penalty try, did have to battle for this win given Salford fought back four times to level the contest.

Ed Chamberlain did so for the last time with a try in the 77th minute but – with regular goalkicker Krisnan Inu unused on the bench in preparation for Wembley – he could not convert his own effort from the touchline.

That meant when Pauli Pauli hit Matt Parcell high in the final seconds, Ellis had his chance with the last kick of the match.

It was tough on Salford but, obviously, their main concern is facing Leeds on Saturday. Watson had cancelled two practice sessions after receiving news of the first positive test on Friday and it is far from ideal preparation as they look to win the Challenge Cup for the first time since 1938.

Salford, who scored earlier tries via Connor Jones, Luke Yates and Olly Ashall-Bott and fielded just six of their likely Wembley line-up, had not returned any positive testes previously.

Watson said: “It’s just Sod’s Law it happens this week.

“It may affect the Challenge Cup final team now but I’m really confident, whatever team we put out, we are going there to win.

“Our players knew we were talking to the RFL about maybe postponing this game but we didn’t want to do that.

“There has been a lot of disruption as we’ve not been able to train since the Huddersfield game (last Thursday). It’s supposed to be one of the best weeks of your career going into a Challenge Cup final but this week’s been a massive frustration.

“But the boys showed their character. No one’s complained. We went in to do a session this morning and a couple got injured even though it was a light run.

“But the side came out and played some old school rugby. They were great. We very nearly pinched a win at the end. If we’d been able to sub Kris (Inu) on to quickly take the kick we might have got the win there!

“He was not even supposed to be on the bench.”

Hull KR: Lewis; Kenny-Dowall, Abdull, Linnett, Crooks; Ellis, Brierley; Mulhern, Minchella, Maher, Hauraki, Hadley, Garbutt. Substitutes: Parcell, Lawler, Trout, Gee.

Salford Red Devils: Ashall-Bott; Chamberlain, Jones, Kear, Roberts; Gilmore, Atkin; Ikahifio, Ackers, Roberts, Lannon, McCarthy, Burke. Substitutes: Aspey-Davies, Yates, Inu, Pauli.

Referee: James Child (Dewsbury).

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Thank you

James Mitchinson