Challenge Cup Final thoughts - View from the commentary Box.

The challenge cup win escapes Salford’s grasps for another year. A heroic attempt by the players will warm the cockles of many Salford fans who watched it from the confort of their front rooms or in a pub on Saturday afternoon.

As a fan of our fantastic club I can’t ask anymore effort  from the players who wore the jersey on Saturday afternoon.

The club have been Corona hit before the biggest match of this and many season with 2 players being tested positive and 2 more getting inconclusive results,  a question would have been asked if physically the players were in peak condition?

This question was answered enfactically as for the full 80 minutes the 17 Salford players ran their blood to water both in attack and defence, never taking a backward step.

Leeds Rhinos had terrarorial advantage throughout and plenty of ball too in dangerous areas but this Salford side backed their fitness to continue to make the tackles needed and not rely on slowing down play and trying to con the referee with penalties to weather the storm.

With the cup final being a big game people questioed if the players would be able to deal with the pressure mentality of playing in a marquee match?

This was answered brilliantly after period of pressure on the Salford line from Leeds a pass from Niall Evalds sent Rhys Williams away down the wing to score one of Wembleys greatest tries.

There was no doubt in the Welsh wing dragons head as he set of running, fully focused and confident he can go 90 metres to score.

Salford Red Devil’s are a like a boxer with a granit chin, they are willing to trade sets with any teams as they know deep down the chance will come.

A mental skill that creates successful teams. They trust their processes and ability to carry the instructions out to letter from coach Ian Watson.

Results in matches can be divided into 3 categories, one is how a game was lost, another is how a game was won and the final category comes down to luck and if the sporting gods are looking down on you.

Salford had chances throughout the game Niall Evalds with a couple of opportunities  if the ball sticks in his hands from a lobbed kick or he himself kicks the ball over the advancing Leeds fullback the game swings Salford way.

I’ve seen the experienced Salford fullback who came back from a serious injury to take his spot at Wembley instead of the Corona hit Dan Sarginson take them opportunies many times. He did everything right but it just wasn’t ment to be.

People talk about Pauli Pauli being penalised for a bad play of the ball but in that situation he has won collision and is playing  the ball while in traffic with lots of Leeds defenders around him. He as done everything asked of him as a forward and it’s a interpretation of the incident which causes the penalty as he falls over.

People should acknowledge that  Pauli Pauli puts Salford back in the contest with a wonderful try at the start of the 2nd half running over Luke Gale to score.

He is one of the hero’s of the drama which unfolded on Saturday. There are no villains.

You can look back at Kallum Watkins not being able to link up with Rhys Williams as they have the Leeds defence in scramble mode or Krisnan Inu running towards the Leeds line to try and score instead of dropping a goal.  Both in the dying minutes of the game.

 I wouldn’t expect any of the players to do anything different if your lucks in the ball sticks in Williams hands or a penalty is given for interference and Salford score the points which wins them the game.

This Salford team has it all, they have the skill, the heart and the confidence to go onto greater things. There will be people leaving and people coming in for 2021 who will again improve this team, something Salford fans sake with excitement about.

Wembley is not the end of the journey for Ian Watson and his men, they have learned a lot about themselves in the last 2 years. 

The next challenge is to take what they have learned about the big game experience and put it to work in games to come.

The cup final is a springboard to bigger and better things for this club.

Charlotte Eriksson once wrote

“Do you wait for things to happen, or do you make them happen yourself? I believe in writing your own story.”

Maybe next time Lady Luck will be reading.

Robert Parkinson
Pictures by Steve McCormick 
Listen to Rob on The Sportszone on Salford City radio every Tuesday 7pm and on The Devil in the Detail podcast weekly.