Super League Round One review: Salford investigation and golden point winners

Salford in hot water with RFL

Salford’s ownership situation has taken a new turn with a fresh investigation launched by sports governing bodies.

Despite the new takeover being completed, the club is still under a salary cap restriction. This restriction remained in place as the RFL had not finished the approval process required during an ownership takeover.

Salford fielded a much weaker side than they could have, selecting none of their experienced men and opting for a youth team. The Red Devils’ weaker side ended up losing the game 82-0 to St Helens, the highest win margin in the Super League era.

Criticism has come from some of the leagues biggest names such as the Leigh owner Derek Beaumont, who posted on X: “Complete disrespect from Salford Devils to the whole of Super League, its stakeholders and fans. It impacts the integrity of the comp”

Current restrictions will be still be in place for Salford’s match against Leeds.

Even the Happy Mondays beforehand won’t stop it being a tough day for Salford on Saturday if they are having to field a similar squad.

Golden points galore

Fans got to see two games decided by the golden point over the weekend, with Leigh beating Wigan 1-0 after the first ever 0-0 in the Super League, and Hull KR beating Castleford 19-18 to start their campaign with a win.

The two become the 36th and 37th golden point winners since its introduction in 2019.

Leigh were also one of the big surprises of the week, beating the reigning champions in their own back yard. Before the game, three Sky Sports presenters all selected the Leopards as the team they expected to drop out of the top six this year.

Leigh put in a really strong performance effort-wise, where they matched Wigan’s intensity and ended up with a deserved two points.

David Armstrong made his full debut as well, and looked promising with some good returns showcasing his footwork and football IQ.

For Hull KR, it was a nervy start to the season after conceding a late try in the 72nd minute of normal time after a great kick was finished off by Zac Cini, but the Robins came out on top after a bit of magic from Mikey Lewis won it for them with a 25-yard drop kick.

Wakefield return with a bang

There was an excitement around Wakefield’s return to the top flight after they won the championship grand final last year, beating the French side’s Toulouse.

That being said, Leeds’ acquisitions of players like Ryan Hall and Jake Connor, along with Brad Arthur heading in as their new coach, means the grass is looking green for the Rhinos, who will be hoping to make a push for the grand final this year.

Wakefield will have been over the moon when the game ended 14-12 in favour of Trinity, who will start off the new campaign with two points.

Brad Arthur, the Leeds head coach, stated in a post-match interview that his side lacked “calm and composure” and that some members “tried too hard”.

Wakefield forced Leeds to panic with their strong intensity and were ultimately well-deserving, even coming up with one of the tries of the round when they managed to keep the ball alive after some great offloading.