Friday 9 June 2017 22:04, UK
It's second versus fifth in Super League this Friday as two sides with Old Trafford aspirations come together. So will it be Salford or Hull FC who claim the spoils? Here are three match-ups between the key players...
Robert Lui v Albert Kelly
Are we seeing a Man of Steel contender this season in Robert Lui? He's starred in Salford's sensational campaign so far, really bossing things in attack. Lui has 16 try assists to his name, the second best in Super League behind George Williams and four more than any of his teammates.
And he's not just adept at putting people through holes, he's pretty handy at finding them himself. His 14 clean breaks is only behind Greg Johnson in Salford's rankings and that's led to three tries of his own in Super League in 2017. Lui isn't afraid of hard work defensively either, completing 339 tackles, more than any other Salford back. Will he continue to have the same impact in the business end of the season?
If Hull FC force their way into contention, then Albert Kelly might have a thing or two to say about where the Man of Steel award ends up. He's starring for this team, even as injuries continue to decimate Lee Radford's starting line-up.
He played a crucial role as the Black and Whites smashed Wigan last weekend, crossing as usual for a try of his own, racing clear from 90 metres, and then also dropping a goal to help swing the game in his side's balance.
That's now 15 tries for the season for Kelly, some way behind Greg Eden, but enough to take third spot in the Super League rankings. If he continues to produce his magic, then there's no reason why FC can't reach Old Trafford in October.
One man to watch in Salford's attack is the dangerous Junior Sa'u. He's been another shining light for Ian Watson's side in 2017. A powerful player, he's scored seven tries so far in Super League, the joint-third best in the team.
But he's not only a try scorer, he's also a try maker, with Sa'u providing eight try assists, again the third best for this Salford outfit. Difficult to stop when he gets going, Sa'u is also third in terms of metres made for the Red Devils with 1554 metres from his 183 carries. And that's at an average gain of 8.49 metres per drive. Seriously good numbers then from the Salford back. How will Hull FC deal with his threat out wide come Friday night?
It's been an up and down season for Hull FC's Carlos Tuimavave, but there's no doubting he's a threat in attack. He's managed eight tries so far this season, behind Albert Kelly and Jamie Shaul, but still enough for third in the FC rankings. It's also two more than he managed in the whole of 2016.
A strong runner, he's notched up 1239 metres from his 143 carries, making an impressive 8.66 metres on average per drive. Having flipped between stand-off and centre last season for the Black and Whites, Tuimavave has been permanently stationed at centre this year, following Albert Kelly's off-season arrival. Lee Radford needs to see the best from him in the climax to the season.
Is this the year Logan Tomkins finally breaks out of the shadow of his two brothers? He's playing in a Salford side currently four places above Wigan in the table. And while Sam and Joel have sadly endured injury-hit campaigns with the Warriors, their younger brother has been a big part of the side best placed to challenge red hot leaders Castleford.
Tomkins has been solid for Salford, fourth in the tackling rankings with 402 successful hits, while also running 64 times from dummy half. He's also scored one try and provided three try assists, establishing himself as a key member of Ian Watson's side. England have some serious quality in the hooking positions at the moment, but is Tomkins about to join the large queue forming behind Josh Hodgson?
One of the men in that queue is Danny Houghton. But despite winning that Man of Steel award last season, he's been dumped from Wayne Bennett's elite performance squad after initially making the cut at the start of the year.
Houghton is replaced by the in-form Paul McShane who's turning in some quality performances for Castleford, but everyone knows what Houghton is capable of. Everyone wants him on their side as the hooker gets through a mountain of work. It's no surprise to see him topping FC's tackle count, completing 554 hits so far.
That's also a figure that sees him fourth in the Super League rankings, but he's got some work to do to reclaim that title as the competition's top tackler that he's held for the last two seasons.
