Craig is top of the props for Salford
WHEN your prop forward gallops through the heart of the opposition defence to lay on a try, you know it has been a night to savour.
Craig Kopczak, all 6ft 4in and 17st of him, marched through a gaping hole in the St Helens defence with a barnstorming run before a simple pass sent skipper Michael Dobson over the line.
That was in the 43rd minute and gave Ian Watson’s improving side a 14-0 advantage over a Saints outfit who lost playmaker Theo Fages to a head injury inside the second minute of a bruising encounter.
They never really recovered.
Salford grew into the match, led through Kopczak’s first try of the season in the 35th minute before the Wales star’s touch of class provided a second for Dobson, who finished the night with 16 points.
These are heady days for Watson’s men, who registered their third straight Super League win and climbed, temporarily at least, to joint top of the table.
It has taken them over four years, but Salford are finally making real progress under the controversial stewardship of Marwan Koukash.
Saints were boosted by the return full-back Jonny Lomax after a four-match absence due to a knee problem.
His return meant Tommy Makinson was shunted to the left wing in place of Adam Swift, who sustained a shoulder injury of his own during last week’s win over Warrington.
Swift had scored twice over the Wolves in the 31-6 victory, the beneficiary of playing outside England centre Mark Percival, who last
SALFORD ST HELENS
night embarked on a daring break from deep inside his own half inside the second minute.
Percival could and perhaps should have passed inside to the supporting Lomax as he was tackled on Salford’s 20-metre line.
As the visitors continued to probe, Fages was caught by Gareth O’Brien and Greg Johnson and knocked out cold.
The French stand-off eventually rose to his feet and was replaced by Tommy Lee.
From there, chances grew scarce as defences remained on top. Salford playmaker Robert Lui broke the visitors’ line before Lomax halted his progress while Saints prop Alex Walmsley was held up at the other end. In the 22nd minute, Dobson kicked a penalty to open the scoring after Kopczak had been instructed at the play-the-ball.
Salford led five minutes before the break when Kopczak, who signed a new deal this week, took a short pass to make it 8-0 at the break.
His classy run then laid on a second for the outstanding Dobson before the Saints revival began.
They replied when Walmsley went under the posts then Lomax’s long pass sent Ryan Morgan over.
That cut Saints’ lead to four point with over 20 minutes remaining and Salford then lost Lui to the sinbin.
They clinched it with six minutes remaining when Dobson got his second and Lomax’s late try proved just a consolation.