After a strong showing against the Wolves, the return of Locke to the starting line-up, and the hope that Saints would have one eye on next weekend’s World Club Challenge, there was a hope that The Devils could register their first win over the Saints in five years.

Kieron Cunninghams' team selection showed that he's playing this season for keeps and although there were a few changes to the starting thirteen it was still a strong side that made the short trip down the East Lancs Road.

Exactly a year ago to the day the Saints ran out 38-0 winners over the Devils but most pundits thought that tonight’s game would be a much closer affair.

Salford did well in the early exchanges and had a couple of chances to take the lead before Mark Percival opened his account for the night with a thirty metre solo effort and when Jordan Turner went in at the corner after eighteen minutes for 8-0 you still felt that Salford would play a major part in the game.

Joe Greenwood then edged the visitors further ahead before a spectacular seventy-metre kick return saw Ben Jones-Bishop get his name on the score sheet for the Devils for the second week running.

Any hope of a fight back was snuffed out before half time when Wilkin fed Thompson to send the Saints into the break with a fourteen point lead at 20-6.

The second half turned into a Saints procession as the Devils faded and resorted to niggly play.

Makinson, Percival, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Greenwood, Turner and Savelio all contributed to push the Saints through the fifty point mark for a comprehensive and convincing 52-6 win. The Devils simply couldn’t compete and Cunninghams side sounded a warning to South Sydney Rabbitohs that they had better be on their top game next Sunday or the World Championhip will be returning to blighty.

This was a very disappointing match for the Devils, their owner, and their supporters who were expecting much more of their side. Conceding ten tries in the second game of the season, they must be better than this.

Salford: Locke, Jones-Bishop, Griffin, Caton-Brown, Johnson; Chase, Dobson; Taylor, Lee, Hock, Hansen, Walne, Paterson. Subs: Fages, Griffin, Tasi, Walne.
Saints: Lomax, Makinson, Percival, Turner, Swift; Burns, Wilkin; Amor, Roby, Maoe, Greenwood, Vea, Flanagan. Subs: Walmsley, Savelio, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Thompson.
Referee: Ben Thaler
Attendance: 4,975