Salford’s tumultuous season came to end with fan protests and a barrage of red smoke bombs as they were beaten 52-16 by play-off bound Wakefield amid an acrimonious atmosphere at the Salford Community Stadium.
Protests and frequent chants against the club’s elusive owners provided the majority of the narrative on a night when the action on the pitch was very much secondary to the implications off it.
Jack Walker’s late consolation try for the home side sparked a pitch invasion and a barrage of red smoke bombs, but there was a sense of resignation on the final hooter, which almost certainly marked an end of Salford’s top-flight tenure.
The 151-year-old club might not continue to exist at all
The Red Devils are set to be kicked out when IMG’s gradings are released next month, shifting the focus to an adjourned winding-up order and in what form the 151-year-old club might continue to exist at all.
Salford head coach Paul Rowley believes Super League status is the least of the club’s worries.
“It’s not something I’ve been concentrating on, because I’m of the opinion that what will be will be,” said Rowley.
“It’s not the most important thing for me at the minute. The most important thing is that there is a Salford Red Devils, and I’m trying to do it in the order that things will be dropped. It is almost irrelevant at the minute compared to the bigger issues that come before it.”
Salford, roared on by their energised supporters, many of whom had been part of another protest march to the stadium, grabbed the lead through Esan Marsters after four minutes and doubled it after 12 when Walker burst clear and scooped a pass for Nathan Connell to blaze over the line unchallenged.
Salford fans protested ahead of the clash with Wakefield
Boosted by two successful kicks from Rowan Milnes, Salford were 12 points to the good before Wakefield stirred, Renouf Atoni powering over under the posts halfway through the first period and Mason Lino duly adding his opening conversion.
Trinity, rolling off last weekend’s mightily impressive win over Hull KR that had left their play-off destiny firmly in their own hands, were level on the half-hour mark when Lino converted another muscular effort through the Salford line, this time from Liam Hood.
And they completed their comeback when Johnstone twisted through a static Salford rearguard on the half-time hooter, Lino’s third successful kick confirming an 18-12 interval lead.
Wakefield’s sizeable away support joined the hosts in directing their ire at Salford’s owners at the start of the second half, and by the time Ky Rodwell bulled over from close range for the visitors’ fourth, the atmosphere was becoming distinctly restless.
Paul Rowley had a moment with the fans at the end of the game
The second half became increasingly one-sided as Salford sagged, Scott scoring his hat-trick, Johnstone adding his second and Harvey Smith getting on the scoresheet, before Walker’s 75th-minute try for Salford sparked smoke bombs and a pitch invasion, and led to a lengthy delay.
Yet the hooter saw only a token second invasion, Salford long since having been consigned to a defeat that means little in the context of the bigger challenges that face this famous old club in the weeks and months ahead.
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