Tuesday 2 July 2019 13:49, UK
Ahead of this week's Super League fixtures live on Sky Sports, rugby league researcher Ian Proctor looks at some previous meetings between the sides and picks out some memorable moments.
Back in 2007, bottom-of-the-table Salford were under pressure after sacking coach Karl Harrison following their 66-6 defeat in Perpignan the previous week - Steve Simms was in a caretaker role as the Sky Sports cameras turned up at the Willows.
Simms induced the finest performance of the season from a Salford side claiming their first win in five matches and completing the 'double' over a Giants team that had won nine in a row since losing at home to the Red Devils.
David Hodgson and Gray Viane scored exceptional second-half tries to bring an against-the-odds win for Salford. Hodgson raced 70 metres for his try and Viane's four-pointer surpassed that effort when he finished off a long-distance move that involved Stuart Littler, Luke Robinson, Kevin McGuinness and Luke Dorn.
Watching on amongst the 3379 crowd was Shaun McRae, the hot tip to take the Salford hot seat.
This was a 13-try classic at the Manchester City ground as Salford completed their first-ever Magic Weekend win at the fifth attempt - and the 38-34 victory was the highlight of a spectacular weekend's fare.
Unsung prop Adam Sidlow proved the unlikely hero for the Red Devils, scoring two tries including the barnstorming 76th-minute match-winner.
Joel Moon and Jodie Broughton equalled the big prop's two-try effort for Salford to help deny an expansive Giants side for whom Danny Brough scored 18 points and Eorl Crabtree scored two tries.
Danny Brough produced the perfect wet-weather kicking display to guide the Giants to their 19-0 win in front of the television cameras at the AJ Bell Stadium.
It was a win that maintained Huddersfield's top-four bid and avenged the home defeat against Salford at Easter. Weller Hauraki and Scott Grix received 24th-minute yellow cards from Robert Hicks for fighting.
Brough gave opposite number Theo Fages a kicking lesson and all three of his team's tries came from his cultured boot. Leroy Cudjoe scored the first of the night and was followed by Jamie Ellis and Kyle Wood before Brough settled the outcome with his 55th-minute drop-goal.
Daryl Powell's Leeds side equalled the club's best-ever start to a season (set under Derek Turner in 1972-73) by completing their 10th consecutive league and cup win - achieved by the skin of their teeth.
The Sky Sports cameras captured a typical blood and thunder 'derby' that was decided by Andrew Dunemann's 77th-minute one-pointer, described afterwards by Powell as 'the ugliest drop-goal ever'. And it was Powell's introduction of diminutive 'super-sub' Rob Burrow that proved crucial as his break set-up the position for the Australian to win it.
Earlier, Andy Lynch's 12th-minute try had given Castleford the lead and it was 10-4 in their favour at the interval. Wayne Bartrim's five goals from as many attempts kept their noses in front on a night when Kevin Sinfield managed only one from four with the boot.
The 10,655 audience saw Leeds come good in the second-half, Willie Poching and Chev Walker adding tries to the first-half effort from Danny McGuire. It was a tremendous effort from a side due to appear in the Cup Final against Bradford at Cardiff the following week.
Newly-promoted Castleford claimed their first Super League win at the fifth attempt, in the process ending a winning start to the season for Leeds that included the 11-8 World Club defeat of Melbourne a week earlier. The Rhinos gave a debut to Luke Burgess.
Scott Donald crossed for a try hat-trick in vain for the champions but they were simply no match for a Castleford side inspired by Brent Sherwin and with Ryan McGoldrick in irresistible form.
Michael Shenton scored two tries in four minutes before a Leeds comeback threatened to deny the Tigers. But it was McGoldrick's superb try that deservedly won the contest before the full-back then sent Luke Dorn in for a final touchdown that inflated the winning margin to 38-20.
It was a nightmare for the Rhinos as they suffered a 66-10 hiding at the hands of a rampant Castleford in front of a sell-out 11,500 Jungle crowd.
Despite suffering their record margin of defeat in Super League, Leeds coach Brian McDermott refused to condemn his players, saying: "We weren't that bad but Castleford were white-hot. I can't recall a more clinical performance.
The ex-Leeds trio of Paul McShane, Luke Gale and Zak Hardaker excelled for Castleford and wingers Greg Eden and Greg Minikin each scored try hat-tricks as the Tigers posted 12 touchdowns.
The onslaught began with Eden's third-minute try, Gale contributed 22 points and it was 30-0 at half-time. Who would have believed that the tables would be turned when the season concluded with a Grand Final showdown at Old Trafford?
