Salford Red Devils coach Paul Rowley has high hopes of being able to call upon Ryan Brierley next week. Brierley was named in Salford’s 21-man squad to take on Hull KR on Friday night at Craven Park, but the full-back never featured against his former club.
Chris Hankinson was selected in the number one spot in Brierley’s absence and he could do little to prevent the Red Devils from falling to a heavy defeat as KR ran out 32-12 winners. His absence from the teamsheet will have been a cause for concern for supporters, of course, particularly with Salford hopeful of securing a play-off spot over the remaining three Super League fixtures.
However, Rowley has moved to allay any fears of a long-term lay-off and expects to have him back available in time for next Saturday’s clash against Catalans Dragons at the Salford Stadium.
“I would hope so,” Rowley told Sky Sports when asked whether the full-back would return next week. “He was poorly so hopefully he’ll recover and be available.”
In truth, it was a night to forget for Salford Red Devils in east Hull as the Robins touched down for six tries on home soil. Salford did get over the line through Nene Macdonald and Joe Mellor but they struggled to trouble Willie Peters’ side, who sit two points clear at the top of the Super League table, at the time of writing.
“When you play a side with confidence and momentum, you have to be connected defensively and disciplined with the ball. I didn’t think we were either and Hull KR did what they’ve been doing for several weeks,” Rowley added.
“I’ve played in winning teams and you get so much confidence and belief. I think that’s what Hull KR have got at the minute. We’ve been inconsistent and all the team will be disappointed by the performance, we know we have a lot better in us than that and we show that on a regular basis.
“We’ve got a lot left, we’re a team that never fails to surprise and I’m sure there will be some more surprises around the corner. We’ll pick ourselves back up. We’ve been a little but inconsistent of late. We’ve had some great performances and some poor performances. Today was a poor one.”