Watson in Cup threat to his Salford players
IAN Watson has vowed to ring the changes ahead of Sunday’s Challenge Cup semi-final against Wigan after Salford slumped to a 25-0 defeat to Leigh.
The result ensured the Centurions did not end the regular season at the bottom of the Super League table, but it was a sixth loss in seven matches for the Red Devils, who clung onto fourth position on points difference only as St Helens dispatched Wakefield Trinity.
“People will lose their shirt on that performance,” confirmed Watson. “It was disappointing.
“The first half we were way below the standards we have set ourselves physically.”
The clash with the Warriors at Warrington’s Halliwell Jones Stadium on Sunday is the club’s first Challenge Cup semi-final in 19 years and means Watson’s side are just 80 minutes away from a trip to Wembley - something they have not done in almost half a century.
But the Red Devils coach is concerned his players may have allowed their focus to drift ahead to that match, rather than concentrating on the task that faced them at Leigh Sports Village.
“You would hope not, because this was a massive game for the club to try and finish in the top four,” he said. “Our performances have dipped and there’s been a drop in intensity since we secured a top-eight finish.
“What we need to do now is realise what we were doing before and rediscover the hunger and attitude we showed earlier in the season, which was winning us games.”
If Watson follows through on his promise to shake up his team to face Wigan, he has the option of handing debuts to new arrivals Tyrone McCarthy and Manu Vatuvei. Both were signed ahead of Friday’s transfer deadline, but did not feature against Leigh.
Another signing that beat the deadline was Oldham’s move for Ben Morris from St Helens.
The young Welsh international - comfortable in the centres or second-row - has joined Scott Naylor’s side on loan until the end of the season, but was not available for Sunday’s defeat to local rivals Rochdale.
Fellow new arrivals Luke Hooley and Jared Simpson also missed out.
Roughyeds chairman Chris Hamilton admitted his side face ‘seven cup finals’ as they battle to avoid relegation.