Join us here from 4.30pm for all the build-up and live match commentary from the AJ Bell Stadium as Salford Red Devils host Sheffield Eagles.
Kick off is at 5pm in the latest round of the Super 8 Qualifiers.
Adam Walne is suspended for Salford, while Junior Sa’u, Lama Tasi and Weller Hauraki return.
Sheffield name an unchanged 19-man squad.
Ian Watson’s Salford have three wins out of four in the Qualfiers so far, with Leigh, Wakefield and Halifax all falling in their wake.
A 41-10 hiccup at Braford has not dented confidence and the Reds have a singing half-back pairing of Michael Dobson and Tommy Lee to look forward to again.
Sheffield by contrast have just one win in four. But Watson is wary of a tough Eagles side, telling reds.co.uk: “They will come intent just to bash the opposing players, so we will have to be prepared to meet that.
“They will come out firing for the first thirty minutes in each half, but could tire off for the final ten.
“Because they are used to winning they will have an arrogance about them which comes with the knowledge and experience that they can usually steal a game towards the end, as they did in their recent match with Halifax.”
It’s the last hurrah for Adrian Morley, who announced live on Thursday that he’d step down from rugby league for good, making this effectively his last home game with Salford.
As we found out at the press conference, he has a new baby to go home to, and he’ll stay on at the Devils as an ambassador after he retires. There’s also the small matter of a world-record breaking attempt to play the highest ever rugby league match on Mount Kilimanjaro.
Salford are expected to pack the stands to say farewell to a true legend of the game.
Salford Red Devils: Michael Dobson, Niall Evalds, Carl Forster, George Griffin, Josh Griffin, Harrison Hansen, Weller Hauraki, Liam Hood, Ben Jones-Bishop, Greg Johnson, Olsi Krasniqi, Tommy Lee, Reni Maitua, Adrian Morley, Junior Sa’u, Lama Tasi, Scott Taylor, Iain Thornley, Logan Tomkins.
Sheffield Eagles: Cory Aston, Eddie Battye, Dominic Brambani, Keal Carlile, James Davey, John Davies, Mike Knowles, Quentin Laulu-Togagae, Dave Petersen, Connor Scott, Sam Smeaton, Duane Straughier, Mitch Stringer, Misi Taulapapa, Tony Tonks, Scott Turner, Pat Walker, Rob Worrincy, Menzie Yere.
19.21
Thats all from me for today, but I’ll be at Widnes next week, so follow all the action live, only here at Salford Online.
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19.20
Ian Watson:
“We were doing things that you wouldnt normally see. There were individual defensive mistakes that we need to address”
“Iain Thornley has added a lot to us on the edges. He defends well, and Lama Tasi played well on the back of him.”
“Moz did well to keep the emotion at bay this week, what with everything going on around him this week. He’s still got 2 games for us, and hopefully he can score his first try for the club and give us a win over Widnes”
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18.59
As you can imagine, there is a bit of a wait for the post match, as Morley makes his way around the pitch, saying goodbye to everyone.
Tellingly, it’s the players who are also queuing up to have a final picture of themselves with the legend.
They also formed a guard of honour to see him off the field as well.
Stay here and I’ll have reaction from Ian Watson just as soon as he finishes his debrief and team talk.
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18.38
Massive applause around the ground as Moz takes to the turf for the final couple of minutes.
It’s also enough to distract Sheffield and allow George Griffin to score under the posts.
Dobson with the conversion and its 53-34 as the hooter goes.
No try for Morley, but he’s still got two away games to break his duck before retirement.
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18.35
Morley is about to come back on for the final time at the AJ Bell, but before that.
TRY SALFORD!
45-34
Iain Thornley over for the home side.
Dobson adds the two and 47-34 with only three minutes left on the clock should see the Devils home.
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18.32
Drop goal by Dobson…They will need that extra point in the last 5 minutes!
41-34 to Salford, and its all to play for still.
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18.27
Try Sheffield…
How they kept that alive and slipped so many tackles I do not know!
Scott Turner over to make it 40-32 with the kick to come, prompting the home fans to ask of the players what they felt they were doing in defence, only with rather more colourful language.
Conversion is good, 40-34 and just 10 minutes left on the clock.
Can Salford hang on? At this rate, it might be a big ask.
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18.23
Into the final 15, and the referee waves away a claim for a knock on.
This Eagles team just will not go away though. Again, they attack, but fail to cross the line.
The resultant penalty for Salford is fielded in the tunnel by Marwan Koukash himself!
Still 40-28
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18.20
TRY SALFORD!
Thornley with the break and Niall Evalds scores under the posts.
Josh Griffin adds the extras this time, and it’s 40-28
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18.17
We’re into what is hopefully the final 20 minutes of play at the AJ Bell for Salford this season. You will be able to follow the final two away games here with me though.
Salford still lead 34-28, but the Eagles look dangerous going forward still.
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18.14
Finally, Salford force a knock on, but start the set on their own 10m line.
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18.13
Inside the final 25, and Salford again allow the Eagles to start a set inside their own half.
Sheffield then force a drop out from under the sticks…
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18.10
Lucky escape for Salford as Sheffield knock on with the line begging.
Only after a Salford knock on from the high bomb though.
The Eagles on the front foot and they are testing Salford, who keep gifting penalties to the Championship side.
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18.02
Sheffield force a knock on, right on their own 2m line, and Sheffield pass the ball along the line, and despite the best efforts of the Devils, Dave Straugheir goes over to make it 34-28.
Walker misses with the conversion, and it’s like the first half comeback never happened.
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17.58
Salford force a scrum on the Sheffield 10m line after just 2 minutes.
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17.56
Teams now back out for the 2nd half.
Salford have finally figured out they are bigger in almost every position, and now they are running straight at the Eagles, they are scoring.
Lets hope they keep it up for the final 40 minutes.
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17.49
So, Adrian Morley was given a guard of honour before kick off and was presented with a picture of The Willows by Salford artist Harold Riley, and a framed print of himself by former Salford captain Chris Hesketh.
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17.45
TRY SALFORD!
Lama Tasi pushes his way over under the posts to make it 32-24.
Dobson converts and it’s 34-24 as the hooter goes.
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17.42
Dobson converts and it’s 28-24 Salford.
Just three minutes on the clock until the break.
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17.41
Break by Jones Bishop and Salford almost take the lead.
Sheffield have had chance to get back and the try eventually comes from close range and Salford take the lead! Liam Hood with his first for the club.
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17.37
TRY SALFORD!
His second in quick succession!
Dobson misses to leave the Devils trailing still, 22-24
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17.35
Salford finally get a penalty, much to the ironic cheers of the home fans.
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17.34
Sheffield kick out on the full and Salford get head & feed at the scrum on the visitors 30m line.
And from the base of the scrum, SALFORD SCORE!!!
Josh Griffin makes it 16-24 and Dobson slots over the extras.
18-24.
Just 11 minutes left in the first half.
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17.31
Try Sheffield…
Over in the corner for the Eagles, Worrincy makes it 12-22, but leaves Walker a difficult kick.
No problem though, his fourth conversion makes it 12-24.
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17.28
SALFORD TRY!
Hansen with the points to make it 10-18.
Dobson converts, and its 12-18 with just over 15 minutes remaining in the first half.
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17.26
TRY Sheffield Eagles.
Carved open like an overdone turkey, Quentin Laulu-Togaga’e pops over to make it 0-16 and with Walker making the kick, it’s 0-18.
Morley is making his appearance after 20 minutes.
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17.23
Salford doing themselves no favours. Every penalty is going the way of the visitors, along with every knock of the ball.
I dont know what Ian Watson will have to say, but after 20 minutes, Sheffield look more like the Super League side.
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17.20
Morley is warming up for the Devils…
Can he finally break his duck and score for his home side?
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17.19
Good chase from Salford sees Sheffield start a set on their own 10m line.
Do the Devils have a response to the flying Eagles start?
Yes, but only because Cory Aston knocks on after a break up the middle Rob Worrincy.
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17.15
TRY Sheffield.
Cory Aston latches onto a lovely little kick through to score for the visitors. Pat Walker converts, and it’s level pegging at 6-6 after 9 minutes.
ANOTHER TRY FOR SHEFFIELD!
From the kick off, and after a 60m run, Menzie Yere extends the lead to 6-10 with the kick to come.
Walker makes no mistake and Salford are behind the eight ball after 11 minutes at 6-12…
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17.09
TRY SALFORD
Weller Hauraki over and a conversion by Michael Dobson means that after 5 minutes, it’s Salford 6, Sheffield 0.
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17.07
We’re off here in Salford for what should be the last home game of the season after Leigh were beaten by Halifax 34-12 earlier today.
As soon as I can, I’ll let you have the shots of the presentation to Adrian Morley by Salford artist Harold Riley and former Salford captain Chris Hesketh.
No score after 3 minutes, but Salford on the front foot and with a penalty for a high shot, just 30m out from the Eagles line.
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16.44
There will be a presentation to Adrian Morley about 10 minutes before kick off, and I’ll bring you pics of that as soon as possible.
The team are out warming up with just under 15 minutes to go, so I’m off to get a spot for the photos of Moz.
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16.06
Just over an hour to kick off here at the AJ Bell stadium in Salford, where Salford Devils take on Sheffield Eagles in the Qualifiers.
The early kick off in the group is Halifax v Leigh Centurions, and the news from The Shay is that the home side are currently 20-0 up.
The team sheets are in for Salford and Sheffield.
We’ll be live with updates from kick off in what could (and we hope will be) Adrian Morleys final home game for his home town club before he retires after the away game at Hull KR on the 27th September.
