Salford City Roosters are still looking for their first win of the new campaign after a cruel defeat in their first home match against Bradford Dudley Hill. It was a good game from two fully committed teams but a real shame that the defeat came down to a couple of refereeing decisions rather than the efforts of the players. There was certainly no lack of effort from the Roosters side and all 17 played well, although full back Paul Morgan only just missed out on the man of the match award to scrum half John Brookes.
The Yorkshire side were much bigger than the home team and in the opening exchanges they made their superior weight count, taking a 12-0 lead in as many minutes. Full back Aiden Baitey was involved in both tries, first off loading on 4 minutes for Anthony Huby to dive over (0-6) and then breaking from half way before sending Martin Southwell over the whitewash, both tries converted by Simon Sewell (0-12).
It looked after the opening quarter like the Salford team would be in for a long afternoon, but they turned the game around as the big Bradford team tired and went in level at half time. On 28 minutes Ben Connor was tackled under the posts and Brookes sent a long pass wide where Bradley White stretched out of a tackle to touch down, albeit too far out to add the conversion (4-12). White made up for his miss though with a penalty, after Andrew Muscat was held down on 38 minutes (6-12). Roosters had elected to go for goal with that penalty, believing that the whistle was closer than it was, but in the very next attack they drew level. This time Tom Smith was stopped on the try line and Brookes “dabbed” a low kick to the in goal where full back Baitey knocked on and White swooped to score and add the extras (12-12).
Roosters took the lead for the first time just 4 minutes into the second period when Jason Lee dropped the ball as he ran it out and White picked up the loose ball to race 25 metres to the corner to complete his hat trick. White then converted brilliantly from the touch line (18-12).
There was an element of luck about the try that stretched the Roosters lead on 52 minutes as well, as Southwell went to boot White’s kick to the in goal to safety and completely missed the ball, leaving Andrew Muscat to simply touch the ball down. White was unlucky this time with his kick from the wing skimming the outside of the far post (22-12).
The Dudley Hill response was immediate with 2 tries, the first converted by Sewell, in 4 minutes, the first coming on 55 minutes. The Bradford man of the match Danny Samuel powered over for the first (22-18) and then Sewell sent Damian Smith over in the corner (22-22).
On 69 minutes Roosters celebrated when Steve Barry off loaded for Marc Jones to spin out of a tackle and score next to the posts, but just as the referee was about to signal the try the touch judge intervened and ruled the try out for a forward pass. That was a blow to the Roosters and a draw would have been a fair result, but an even bigger blow was to follow, one minute from time, as the referee awarded a penalty, right in front of the posts, for a ball steal with two in the tackle. Sewell gleefully accepted the gift (22-24) and the Roosters had no time to respond.
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