Leigh Leopards eventually break down a spirited Salford Red Devils

Leigh Leopards 38 - 6 Salford Red Devils

Leigh Leopards returned to winning ways in Super League, keeping their top-two ambitions intact with a victory over Salford Red Devils, though they were made to work hard for it.

Author | Michael Haldsworth

Stadium | Leigh Sports Village

Adrian Lam’s side had stumbled in recent weeks with back-to-back defeats against Leeds Rhinos and Hull FC, just as momentum appeared to be slipping away. This result, however, moved them to within a point of second-placed St Helens with four rounds of the regular season remaining.

On paper, the visit of Paul Rowley’s depleted squad looked like an ideal chance for Leigh to reassert their credentials. Yet for much of the first half Salford defied expectations, having been rated 100-1 outsiders before kick-off.

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Joe Mellor’s early try for the visitors was cancelled out by Tesi Niu, and it took until the 38th minute for Leigh to edge ahead when Ethan O’Neill latched onto a Lachlan Lam kick to put them 12-6 up at the interval.

Salford’s resistance eventually waned after the break, and Leigh capitalised ruthlessly with five further tries to seal a scoreline that was more comfortable than the contest initially suggested.

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Salford Red Devils’ owners have assured Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and Salford mayor Paul Dennett that the Super League club will be able to complete the season.

The Red Devils were forced to postpone their match against Wakefield earlier this month due to player welfare concerns, having only two senior players available.

Burnham, who had said he was monitoring the situation closely, met the club’s ownership alongside Dennett on Friday.

We received assurances that completing the Super League season and securing the future of the club were shared priorities," a joint statement said.

The statement also said that they received positive assurances about an upcoming winding-up petition from His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which was adjourned earlier this year and is set to take place at the High Court on 3 September. It has been a tumultuous 12 months for Salford, who have been plagued with financial issues despite a takeover by a consortium led by Dario Berta going through on the eve of the season.