Hastings battles through for Salford
JACKSON HASTINGS produced the perfect farewell to the AJ Bell Stadium to help send Salford a step closer to their maiden Grand Final.
The Australian scrumhalf – who joins Wigan next season – sliced over with eight minutes remaining to put the final seal on a polished Red Devils display.
Old Trafford is fewer than five miles from Salford’s home ground and is now 80 minutes away on the field.
Ian Watson’s side will face the loser of tonight’s St Helens-Wigan clash aiming to complete a fairy-tale campaign. Working on a lower budget and with a smaller squad than any of their top-five rivals, they have continued to punch above their weight.
Salford took a grip on the game with two tries in the opening 14 minutes.
The first was clear cut, Tui Lolohea kicking smartly for Tyrone McCarthy to follow through and touch down.
The second try was more debatable as Jake Bibby was adjudged to have got the ball down in Greg Minikin’s desperate cover tackle, in a video referee decision that left Tigers coach Daryl Powell shaking his head.
Krisnan Inu added both conversions and a penalty awarded for a ball steal to put his side 14-0 ahead at the break.
But the home side were also indebted to one of the tackles of the season from full-back Niall Evalds, who tracked across field to drag a try-bound Jordan Rankin into touch.
Then Hastings fittingly had the final say. Salford forward Mark Flanagan said: “It’s pretty special. In 2016 we played in the Million Pound Game and knew if we lost that game, we might not have a club today.
“We have some special players and the core of the squad is a hard-working bunch.
“For little old Salford to be in this position is pretty great. It’s a full team effort.”
Castleford coach Powell said: “The start killed us. 12-0 down in no time. It was disappointing from us, we were poor tonight.”