Catalans Dragons open up four-point lead at the top of Super League table after beating Salford Red Devils 42-0 at Stade Gilbert Brutus; Salford depleted and star forward King Vuniyayawa turned away on arrival in France; Dragons’ Sam Tomkins crosses 1,500 career-points milestone
Last Updated: 29/07/23 10:36pm
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Highlights of the Betfred Super League match between Catalans Dragons and Salford Red Devils.
Highlights of the Betfred Super League match between Catalans Dragons and Salford Red Devils.
Catalans Dragons remained the Super League leaders after hammering Salford Red Devils on Saturday.
The Dragons opened up a four-point lead at the top of table as they waltzed to a 42-0 victory at Stade Gilbert Brutus.
Salford were a depleted side. Coach Paul Rowley was without a number of first-teamers, including star forward King Vuniyayawa, who was turned away on arrival in France because of visa issues.
Sam Tomkins has crossed the 1,500 career-points milestone(Photo: Ed Sykes/SWpix.com)
The Red Devils only had 18 players to choose from but stood up strongly to a brutal early assault in the opening quarter.
However, Australian centre Adam Keighran could not be stopped from collecting a short grubber kick over the line by Michael McIlorum in the 20th minute to open the scoring and he converted his own try to take Catalans 6-0 ahead.
Full-back Ryan Brierley and stand-off Brodie Croft tried their best to put the Red Devils on the front foot but the Dragons resisted any attempt to break their line.
Wigan-bound Keighran scored his second try 10 minutes later when he followed another kick over the line, this time from stand-off Tyrone May, and again he added the conversion to make it 12-0.
Winger Tom Johnstone got in on the act as he chased a Sam Tomkins kick to score in the left corner five minutes from half-time, with Keighran unable to convert from the touchline.
In the last minute of the first half May made an explosive 15-metre dash over the line to ground a Tomkins kick and put the Dragons firmly in control at 22-0.
Adam Keighran also bagged a brace of tries
Coach Rowley kept Salford’s players on the pitch during half-time to give them a breather, but it was not long before the Dragons turned up the heat again.
Keighran added his fourth goal of the night with a penalty three minutes into the second half after a high shot on Dragons prop Jordan Dezaria.
On the next play Keighran released Johnstone for a sprint to the left corner for his second try of the game to put the home side out of sight at 28-0.
May then found half-back partner Mitchell Pearce after breaking the Salford line on halfway and he passed to prop Tiaki Chan who crossed the line, Tomkins taking over kicking duties with the conversion.
Winger Tom Davies was sin-binned on the hour for holding down in the tackle after a breakaway run by Salford hooker Andy Ackers and tempers began to fray in the heat.
Tomkins cooled things down with a 68th-minute penalty and then spiced it up again with a try five minutes later, which he converted, taking him past the 1,500 career-points milestone.