Defending champions Leeds produced a rearguard display to end their seven-game losing run with an 8-0 win over Salford. The Rhinos' defence came in for criticism after a series of heavy defeats but their commitment and desire was there for all to see as they withstood everything Salford threw at them.
The poor conditions ensured a tight first half at Headingley which brought only Luke Briscoe's sixth-minute unconverted try. A Liam Sutcliffe penalty stretched the Rhinos' lead to six points, and he added another on the final hooter, to the delight of the home crowd.
Brian McDermott's men remain bottom despite securing their first win in almost two months, and are almost certainties to face the likes of Leigh and London in the qualifiers, with third-bottom Salford likely to join them.
Leeds continued their trend of scoring the first try - they had done so in each of their last four defeats - as Briscoe took Kallum Watkins' pat back from Danny McGuire's kick to score his first try of the season.The Rhinos' problem in recent weeks has been building on those early leads and Salford looked set to join the likes of Castleford and Wigan in pegging them back, only for Jake Bibby to fumble Michael Dobson's grubber kick with the tryline at his mercy.
The Red Devils were enjoying plenty of possession in the Leeds half but Rob Burrow hit back and broke the line, nearly finding a wide-open Ash Handley with a long pass. Leeds defensive commitment was felt by their opponents. Imposing Australian winger Justin Carney was forced off after a huge hit by Jamie Jones-Buchanan and Brad Singleton, while the Rhinos celebrated every Salford mistake with enthusiasm.
The issue for Leeds was struggling to complete their sets in greasy conditions, and there were long periods of defending their own line which would take its toll later in the game. But that was far from the minds of the Rhinos as Liam Sutcliffe found a hole in the Salford defensive line in a rare Leeds attack. A Burrow knock-on meant the hosts were unable to take advantage of that good field position but they did hold a 4-0 lead at the break.
The rain fell heavier during the interval which brought about more errors in the early stages of the second period. Salford continued to do most of the running but a crucial Handley interception got the Rhinos moving upfield and laid the groundwork for Sutcliffe's penalty from out wide on the left.
Sutcliffe invited more Red Devils pressure when he dropped a high kick close to his own line, but Leeds again dug deep to keep them out. The Rhinos full-back then sliced a drop-goal attempt as Leeds tried to make it a two-score advantage before the hosts survived another spell of concerted Salford pressure.
The Red Devils continued to lay siege to the Leeds line but the Rhinos were not to be denied only their fourth win of the year, with Sutcliffe's late penalty making absolutely sure.
Meanwhile this week, it seems Salford's favourite bookie, Fred Done, always willing to sell some pies at Salford Ammies for a bit of publicity, has bought into Sale Sharks. After 16 years under Brian Kennedy's control, the Sharks have been sold to CorpAcq Ltd, run by Simon Orange and supported by BetFred founder Fred Done and others.
"I hope rugby fans from the region will support Sale Sharks and help us to build a dominant Northern Powerhouse both on and off the field" said Orange. The move hasn't gone down well with some Red Devils supporters, who were looking to Done to buy into the club before Koukash took over.
I spoke with Martin Sloan before the game who told me: "I asked Fred Done if he was going to save us at the time. He said he wished us well but had no interest in rugby - football and horse racing were his interests. Funny how things change..."
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