Joey Lussick was the hero for Salford as they reached their first Challenge Cup final for 51 years by dethroning holders Warrington Wolves; Ian Watson speaks about some of the key contributors to the club's revival.
Sunday 4 October 2020 13:42, UK
When Wayne Bennett - not a man prone to hyperbole in any shape or form - labels a player as the most talented he has seen, it is perhaps worth listening to him.
It is a particularly big statement when you consider even just a handful of the players the veteran Australian has worked with during a 44-year coaching career at club, State of Origin and international level.
So, who was he talking about? Wally Lewis? Darren Lockyer? Wendell Sailor, perhaps?
The answer is in fact none other than one of the stars of the Salford Red Devils revolution, Krisnan Inu, as head coach and assistant to Bennett on last year's Great Britain tour Ian Watson explains.
"Kris has got undoubted talent," Watson said. "You just need to turn his highlights reel on and one of them popped up the other day.
"His ability is absolutely phenomenal. I remember talking to Wayne Bennett about him in New Zealand at the end of last year and he said he's the most talented player he's seen.
"For somebody to be saying something like that for all of the players he's had under him is a massive statement for somebody like Krissy."
I remember talking to Wayne Bennett about him in New Zealand at the end of last year and he said he's the most talented player he's seen.
As he has been so many times since joining the club ahead of last season, Inu was again at the forefront for the Red Devils as they reached the Challenge Cup final for the first time since 1969 with a 24-22 win over Warrington Wolves in Saturday's semi-final.
The three-quarter scored a spectacular try, plucking Kevin Brown's kick out of the air to dot down and kicked four goals, not to mention effecting the short kick-off which saw Salford regain possession and led to the penalty which saw them trail by just four points at half time.
Like the Red Devils, Inu himself has had to do things the hard way in recent years. The former New Zealand international was facing an uncertain future 18 months ago when he was one of the players made redundant as a result of the financial crisis at Widnes Vikings.
Even this year has brought its challenges, being limited to a total of just seven appearances in all competitions so far this year due to a knee injury, but he is now getting back to the form which saw him last year as Super League's fourth-highest point-scorer with 215.
Another player trying to revive his career with the club is Kallum Watkins, another of the try-scorers in the win over Warrington who showed great skill and timing to ground a grubber kick from Tui Lolohea one-handed which evaded Wolves full-back Matty Ashton.
A disappointing end to a stellar career with Leeds Rhinos was followed by an injury-blighted spell in the NRL with Gold Coast Titans and his return to Super League saw him leave Toronto Wolfpack without playing a game due to their financial problems.
Now back at the club he grew up supporting, Watkins is already making a big impact.
"Players like Kallum, they're a different level," Watson said. "You watch him running around the training field and he's like a thoroughbred, he just cruises along the ground.
"In big games it comes down to small margins and people like him are going to consistently deliver those pieces of quality which will win you the game.
"His involvement probably wasn't massive in terms of structure or anything like that, but he's come up and scored when it mattered."
Joey Lussick, who scored the game-clinching try and was named man of the match against Warrington, earned praise from Watson for the work he has done on improving the defensive side of the game.
That is underlined by the hooker being among the top-10 tacklers in Super League so far this year and Salford's second highest in the competition with 406, just one behind back row Luke Yates.
He's been working really hard on his defence as well so he can play 80 minutes, because that's normally where the nines fall down.
"He's been working really hard on his defence as well so he can play 80 minutes, because that's normally where the nines fall down and those kind of players in the middle of the field I imagine did a hell of a lot of tackling," Watson said.
"Joey will be no different as well, but it's making sure they've got the engine to do it and Joey is a fit kid."
Given Salford saw key players such as Derrell Olpherts, George Griffin, Josh Jones and Man of Steel Jackson Hastings all depart after last year's run to the Grand Final, many wondered if it would prove to be a one-off.
But while Super League honours are beyond Salford in 2020, the chance to add the sport's other major domestic honour for only the second time in their history is still on the cards, thanks in part to some astute recruitment from Watson and chief executive Ian Blease.
Indeed, Watson believes those who remain from last year in his team are putting into practise the experiences and hailed the signing of experienced half-back Kevin Brown as growing in influence too.
"They've shown they've learnt lessons on the back of last year and the players who have come in have possibly improved us," Watson said.
"[Since the start of September] we've been really good, really resilient as a team, shown better defence and shown a bit more cohesion as a unit.
"Big credit has got to go to Kevin Brown on that because he is really starting to demand the best from the team now."
