Salford v Harlequins RL - Preview
It’s a battle of the basement boys at The Willows on Friday evening, as two severely out of form teams lock horns in a match that could go a long way to deciding who finishes second-bottom of the Super League.
Salford have the home advantage but with the form they have showed against the sides around them at The Willows, they will probably see it as negative rather than a positive. The last time the Manchester-based club won a league match at home against a side that was one place above or behind them in the league was on the 14th Feb 2009 against The Celtic Crusaders.
Harlequins, who are enduring a terrible season, will see this, on the basis of Salford’s poor home record, as a fantastic chance to build some momentum before the season comes to a close.
Another cause for optimism for the Quins is that their opponents are in midst of an injury crisis. Salford are missing Stefan Ratchford and Willie Talau for the game, after being told they require operations.
The two key players join Lee Jewitt, Ray Cashmere and Dean McGilvray in the over-crowded treatment room, and all will most probably miss the remainder of the season.
“We have got problems, no doubt about it,” said Salford coach Shaun McRae.
“We have got a lot of players missing. But you can only work with players available for selection. And I always believe it is a good opportunity for other people."
Quins have named Jason Golden in their squad for the first time since he picked up a shoulder injury in April.
Luke Gale is also in the initial 19-man squad as is Ben Jones-Bishop, who suffered no ill-effects following his return from a fractured skull last week.
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