Magic Weekend review: Dramatic 22-20 win for Hull KR over Salford

Magic Weekend results

• Salford 20-22 Hull KR
• Leeds 24-22 London Broncos
• St Helens 36-16 Castleford
• Wakefield Trinity 18-25 Catalans Dragons
• Hull FC 2-55 Huddersfield Giants
• Wigan Warriors 14-26 Warrington Wolves

Saints crush Castleford

Ruthless St Helens again showed why they have been a class apart in this season's Super League as they dismantled Castleford 36-16 to close out the Dacia Magic Weekend and restore their six-point advantage at the top.

Their West Yorkshire opponents are no stooges, despite this being a fifth defeat in six, and started the day in the play-off positions before ending it as the Saints' latest victims.

Only Catalans have stopped them this season and all the evidence suggests the rest of the division have everything to do to stop a march to the Old Trafford Grand Final and a possible seventh Super League title.

Wakefield will be the next side in their sights when they meet in the Challenge Cup next weekend.

Despite the scoreline, Saints had to withstand an early onslaught before getting going in front of a Sunday crowd of 26,812, taking the weekend aggregate to 56,869.

Drop outs ensured Saints did not get their hands on the ball until four minutes in and then, with seven gone, they scored, Tommy Makinson going in after a slick move between Theo Fages and Lachlan Coote on the back of Kevin Naiqama's length-of-the-field intercept.

Saints soaked up some more pressure before ruthlessly picking off a second, Regan Grace in at the left corner after good hands from Coote and Zeb Taia.

Two led to three, the evergreen James Roby carving Castleford up down the middle and Jonny Lomax applying the finish, with Coote's first goal of four taking it to 14-0.

Coote was providing again soon, his last-tackle run putting Fages in, but a Roby sin-binning after a tackle on Jake Trueman stopped Saints in their tracks.

Grant Millington got one back for Cas while he was off, scoring off a Paul McShane kick, but the Tigers were unable to make any more inroads while a man up.

With Roby back on, Saints returned to full throttle after the break, Jack Ashworth the recipient of a short ball from Joseph Paulo and scoring under the posts.

Coote got a try his play deserved on the hour, following Taia's run and taking in his offload and a seventh red and white try was soon on the way.

Justin Holbrook's men moved right to left and Fages stood up a fantastic ball for Naiqama who made it nine tries in five outings as he forced his way in at the corner.

St Helens' evening's work was slightly soured as Chris Clarkson an Greg Eden scrambled a pair of late consolations but it was too late too affect the outcome.

Leeds fend off London fightback

Leeds held off a determined fightback from London Broncos to deliver a first win for interim coach Richard Agar and ease their relegation fears in a gripping contest at the Dacia Magic Weekend.

The Rhinos led 24-10 with 10 minutes left but in the end were hanging on for a 24-22 victory that could prove crucial in the final reckoning.

It leaves the Broncos two points adrift at the bottom of the Super League table following Hull KR's win over Salford in the opening game of day two at Anfield.

The victory was sweet revenge for their surprise 18-16 defeat by the promoted Londoners at Headingley in March and, although there are clearly still major problems for Leeds, their relief was palpable at the final whistle.

The reintroduction of 19-year-old full-back Jack Walker, which reduced the average age of the team to 24, made a huge difference to the Rhinos, who made a blazing start.

Walker crossed the line in the second minute only to be called back for obstruction and then accepted an offload from James Donaldson to race clear and set up the position for stand-off Liam Sutcliffe to force his way over for the opening try.

Sutcliffe added the goal and, after Broncos stand-off Jordan Abdull had kicked out on the full, winger Ash Handley forced his way over at the corner for the Rhinos' second try to make it 10-0 after nine minutes.

Roared on by the neutrals in the crowd, which included a growing contingent from Castleford arriving for the last match, the Broncos stemmed the early onslaught and pulled a try back on 24 minutes when full-back Alex Walker got centre Ryan Morgan racing through a gap in the Leeds defence.

Kieran Dixon's conversion cut the deficit to four points and the Londoners looked certain to draw level when Walker supported a break by centre Elliot Kear only to be thwarted by a superb last-ditch tackle from Richie Myler.

The Broncos were not finished, however, for Abdull took a return pass from skipper Jay Pitts to score his second try and was heavily involved when Kear got Walker over for their fourth try.

Dixon's third goal meant there were just two points in it and Leeds were scrambling for safety in the end.

Hull KR claim narrow victory

Ryan Shaw held his nerve to land a 40-metre penalty and help Hull KR see off Salford's second-half fightback at the Dacia Magic Weekend.

After surrendering a lead against Huddersfield last week, Rovers looked set to throw away another two points when a brace of tries from former Robin Ken Sio reeled them back to 20-all from 20-6 ahead.

But Shaw was cool under pressure with six minutes left to split the posts after Gil Dudson's indiscretion and seal a 22-20 win.

The result gives Rovers a second win over the Red Devils in a fortnight, after knocking them out of the Challenge Cup earlier this month and, as on that occasion, Salford can only blame themselves.

Two weeks ago they surrendered a 10-point lead; this time they handed two tries to Craig Hall on a day when they outscored their opponents by four tries to three.

The start to this clash at Anfield mirrored the damp weather, with a dropped ball from Sio with the line open a rare early talking point.

The same thing happened on the other side of the field 10 minutes later, with Derrell Olpherts the guilty party after Niall Evalds' pass.

Inside 60 seconds KR were in front. A penalty helped them downfield and after a bullet pass from Hall, Kane Linnett was able to hit a gap and score.

Shaw kicked the goal and then added a penalty after Salford were pulled up for dissent.

A second KR try followed 29 minutes in. Shaw raced clear down the left, with his punt ahead resulting in Evalds and Jackson Hastings getting in a tangle, allowing Hall to dot down his 100th Super League try.

The Devils continued to unravel, with Pauli Pauli sin-binned for a late shot on Josh Drinkwater, his first action after coming on.

Joey Lussick managed to get Salford going two minutes before the break, sniping a try from dummy half under the posts, but another defensive implosion saw them concede again after the restart.

A second display of dissent saw them marched towards their own posts and then, as Drinkwkater kicked through, Olpherts failed to shovel the ball out of play as intended and instead gave Hall his second gimme of the afternoon.

Pauli gave Salford more hope when he amended for his earlier indiscretion with a close-range barge over the line, and that hope became genuine belief when Hastings' pass - which appeared forward - put Sio in at the corner. Inu, though, struck an upright with his goal attempt.

Rovers were feeling the heat and felt hard done by on a couple of decisions, particularly when Danny McGuire's kick ahead appeared to be shelled by Evalds without penalty.

But Salford marched on regardless and went level when Sio produced a one-handed finish by the flag, with Inu again failing from wide out, leaving the scores level at 20-all.

There only looked one winner at that stage, but Shaw turned the narrative as he maintained his perfect record with the boot.