Thursday 12 February 2015 23:47, UK
St Helens became the first team to lay down a marker in Super League XX when they dismantled a weak-looking Red Devils side 52-6 in front of the AJ Bell Stadium faithful.
The Grand Final winners ran in 10 tries to make it back-to-back defeats at the start of the season for Salford, whose owner Marwan Koukash tweeted: "I have had enough" in the aftermath of the game.
Saints started the game well by defending every threat sent their way by a Salford side that were purposeful in the opening exchanges. It was Salford who had most of the ball in opening 15 minutes, but it was St Helens who were up on the scoreboard.
Saints had notched up three tries inside 20 minutes, but crucially two of the conversions were unsuccessful, so when Tommy Makinson delivered a kick that bounced favourably for a Ben Jones-Bishop try, Salford were right back in the game at 14-6.
That changed soon thereafter though, as Saints began to pile on the pressure as well as the points. With more points came more pressure and with more pressure came more mistakes from Salford as they chased the game.
The first half ended with Saints ahead 20-6 but despite the need for an efficient start to the second half for Salford, Saints needed just two minutes to open their account after the break through Makinson.
Mark Percival, Jordan Turner and Joe Greenwood all scored two tries each for their side as Saints ran their hosts ragged in the second half - Greenwood was awarded man of the match for his contribution to the game.
Gareth Hock was shown a yellow card late in the second half for twice putting his knee into the head of an opposition player, a display that underlined the lack of discipline in general from the Red Devils who defended without Hock worse than they had with him, with Saints players seeming to run through gaps at will.
The last ten minutes was potentially the most encouraging of the second half for Salford as they defended their line far better in the closing stages, but it was Saints who fittingly had the final say in the game as a clever high kick was pounced upon and shifted to Andre Savelio who simply pushed a defender aside to take the visitors past the 50-point mark.
Saints now go into the World Club Challenge on the back of a two-game unbeaten run in Super League, with a warning sounded to the rest of the teams in the domestic league
