SATURDAY - 27th APRIL 2019:
LONDON BRONCOS 10-30 SALFORD RED DEVILS
Betfred Super League
London (0) 10
Tries: Williams, Fleming Goals: Dixon
Salford (24) 30
Tries: Lussick, Evalds, Murray, Hastings, Mossop Goals: Inu 5
Salford Red Devils won 30-10 in horrendously windy conditions at Super League's bottom side London Broncos, in part thanks to a dominant first-half.
Four converted tries without reply gave the Red Devils a 24-0 advantage at the break, inspired by try-scorers Joey Lussick and Jackson Hastings.
London twice breached the visitors defence in the second-half as Rhys Williams and Matty Fleming crossed.
Yet Salford were never in danger, a fifth try taking their tally to 30.
The Red Devils stay sixth, closing to within two points of the four teams above them on 14 points.
Any hopes that the Broncos might temporarily climb off the foot of the table and leapfrog Leeds were quelled in the opening 40, as Ian Watson's Salford showed their class.
Hooker Lussick went in for the first score with a trademark close-range burrow, and after a flood of pressure on the London line, Niall Evalds crossed for the second.
Influential half-back Hastings ghosted through to supply Dan Murray a try and then scored himself with a solo break to cap a one-sided opening 40.
Danny Ward's London, playing into the wind in the second period, finally gave a taste of their attacking talent when winger Williams finished off a smart team move.
Prop Lee Mossop rumbled over to restore the Salford advantage, before Alex Walker's leap teed up Fleming's consolation score.
Injuries to James Cunningham and Evalds on either side will be ongoing concerns for both coaches, on the back of a gruelling Easter period.
London head coach Danny Ward:
"It's not the first time this season we've got off to a slow start at home, and we've just made it easy for them and gifted them too much.
"When there's that gap of 18 points we start playing but it's too late at that stage. Yes, the second-half performance is decent enough, but it's a frustrating afternoon for us.
"We're not playing well at home at the moment, and we have to look at that. It's difficult to put the finger on, but we'll certainly look into it in detail in the week.
"A lot of it is the mentality. There have only been a couple of games where we've started well, and it's a hard one to fathom. We've trained well all week, and the confidence was high. There's a lot of disappointment in that changing room, and there are plenty who've given it a real good crack but we've just given ourselves too much to do, again."
Salford head coach Ian Watson:
"The first half was really good, we came out the blocks firing and that was really pleasing to see, because we talked about doing that all week.
"We built a commanding lead and that allowed us to be smart in that second half and manage it out. We talked about turning them over in better positions because we were guilty of doing it in the wrong areas in that first 40, which gave them a bit of energy.
"After the Easter period, though, it's a really professional performance and we're delighted to get the win. It's been a good period for us of late, and I'm looking upwards now.
"I'll let others worry about the relegation situation because we want to push on towards play-off territory and 24, maybe 26 points, could do it, which is our focus."
London Broncos: Walker; Dixon, Morgan, Fleming, Williams; Smith, Cunningham; Battye, Davis, Butler, Pitts, Yates, Lovell
Interchanges: Adebiyi, Hindmarsh, Abdull, Gee
Salford: Evalds; Bibby, Inu, Welham, Olpherts; Lui, Hastings; Walker, Lussick, Mossop, Jones, Griffin, Burke
Interchanges: Wood, Murray, Nakubuwai, McCarthy