SALFORD RED DEVILS {2020}

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Challenge Cup final:

Leeds beat Salford 17-16 after Luke Gale lands late winning drop-goal...





Coral Challenge Cup
Leeds (12) 17
Tries: Handley 2, Briscoe Goals: Martin 2 Drop-goal: Gale

Salford (6) 16
Tries: Williams, Pauli, Greenwood Goals: Inu 2



Luke Gale kicked a late drop-goal as Leeds rallied to beat Salford and win a first Challenge Cup in five years.

Ash Handley scored two of the Rhinos' three tries, while fellow winger Tom Briscoe broke a Wembley record with his seventh try in a Challenge Cup final.

Salford briefly led when Pauli Pauli and James Greenwood both scored to build on Welsh winger Rhys Williams' stunning breakaway first-half try.

But Handley's second try to go to 16-16 was followed by Gale's one-pointer.

Gale was just wide with his first attempt at the sticks but when he had another effort, this one sailed over, to leave last year's beaten Super League Grand Finalists Salford heartbroken in their first Wembley final since 1969.

Leeds 'won it for Burrow'

By contrast, this was Leeds' sixth final in 11 years, the previous five of which had all involved their little legend Rob Burrow.

The former scrum-half, who has been bravely battling motor neurone disease, was due to be present at Wembley as guest of honour.

But, although he was kept away from the empty stadium on the big day, he was still honoured at rugby league's first Covid-19 final 'in absentia'.

And, in a stunning contest which swung both ways, it was the sort of battling spirit engendered by Burrow in his playing days that helped Leeds earn their 14th Challenge Cup triumph - now within five of the record 19 held by Wigan.

It was also somehow fitting that Leeds' best player - and a deserving winner of the Lance Todd Trophy as man of the match - was Richie Myler, who, although now playing at full-back, has spent most of his career playing in Burrow's old role at half-back.

Myler had a hand in both Handley's tries, although it was Konrad Hurrell's superb offload that got Briscoe in at the right corner for the opener.

That meant another Wembley record for Briscoe, his seventh Challenge Cup final try overtaking a Wigan great from the 1980s, Kevin Iro, who three times recorded Wembley doubles.

Most of Briscoe's magnificent seven scores came when he set the individual final record with five against Hull KR in 2015.

But, after Rhyse Martin's conversion went in off the post, Briscoe was then outshone with one of the great Wembley tries - by Salford's Welsh winger Williams.

Almost on his own goalline, a clean take from Leeds old boy Kallum Watkins allowed him to slip a pass to Niall Evalds, he moved the ball on and Williams was away, going almost the whole length to touch down under the posts, for Krisnan Inu to add the conversion.

Handley then earned Leeds a 12-6 half-time lead when he got in at the left corner after a stunning pass from Myler, to which Martin added the extras.

Leeds then got hit by two tries in five minutes, with first Pauli Pauli coming off the bench to power over, although Inu crucially missed the kick.

Myler then failed to collect a high kick under pressure from Kevin Brown, the ball was moved left and Greenwood got over by the posts, Inu this time converting.

But Leeds hit back with a second try for Handley, with Myler again the architect, before Gale's second late drop-kick attempt proved the matchwinner.

Leeds: Myler; Briscoe, Hurrell, L Sutcliffe, Handley; Lui, Gale (capt); Seumanufagai, Leeming, Oledzki, Mellor, Martin, Prior.

Interchanges: Dwyer, A Sutcliffe, Donaldson, Cuthbertson.

Salford: Evalds; Williams, Watkins, Welham, Inu; Lolohea, Brown; Mossop, Lussick, Dudson, McCarthy, Greenwood, Flanagan.

Interchanges: Ikahahifo, Pauli, Yates, Burke.

Referee: Liam Moore.

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Betfred Super League

Wigan (30) 58
Tries: Powell 2, Farrell 2, French 3, Hastings, Gildart 2 Goals: Hardaker 9

Salford (6) 12
Tries: Watkins, Lolohea Goals: Inu 2



Bevan French scored a hat-trick as Wigan cemented their claims for a Grand Final spot with a thrashing of last season's finalists Salford.

Sam Powell and French both scored twice along with Liam Farrell in a one-sided first half, while Kallum Watkins replied for the Red Devils.

Tui Lolohea crossed to reduce arrears but Jackson Hastings, Oliver Gildart and Farrell tries added to the rout.

French notched his third and Gildart a second as Wigan capped an emphatic win.

The Cherry and Whites stay second, taking their win percentage to 73.3%.

French's devastating individual display was a key hallmark of the performance of Adrian Lam's side, as Wigan showed a ruthlessness to blow the Red Devils away.

French's footwork, pace and skill carved open spaces, which brought two superb tries from deep, and his vision also led to scores for Hastings and Gildart.

Powell had earlier crashed in for two scores from dummy-half after good work by the pack, setting a platform for the glut of points to come.

Ian Watson's Salford came into this game on the back of their Challenge Cup final defeat by Leeds last weekend, and they were never given a chance to bounce back.

They have made a habit of coming from behind in games, notably on their way to Wembley, but left themselves far too much to do following the whirlwind Wigan start.

They had to reshuffle with Olly Ashall-Bott going off for a head injury assessment, and Mark Flanagan also went off as the defeat proved an increasingly costly one.

Wigan: French; Bibby, Hardaker, Gildart, Burgess; Leuluai, Hastings; Bullock, Powell, Singleton, Isa, Farrell, Partington

Interchanges: Flower, Greenwood, Clubb, Smithies

Salford: Ashall-Bott; Williams, Watkins, Kear, Inu; Lolohea, Atkin; Mossop, Lussick, Yates, Roberts, Greenwood, McCarthy

Interchanges: Ackers, Flanagan, Burke, Pauli

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