When the draw was made for the fifth round of the 2017 Ladbrokes Challenge Cup there was one outstanding fixture. The all conquering Toronto Wolfpack from Championship One were draw away at high-flying Super League Salford Red Devils.

It would be a chance for the games newest side to test their mettle against one of its most established and all eyes were on the AJ Bell Stadium to see what would happen.

The Red Devils were without Junior Sa'u, Logan Tomkins and Todd Carney while Toronto gave a debut to surprise mid-week acquisition Ryan Brierley.

It was a high octane start to the game with both sides taking advantage of a dry pitch and the sun on their backs. On thirteen Kris Welham plucked a Michael Dobson cross-field kick from the grasp of the Toronto defenders and he dropped over the line. Dobson added the extra two for a 6-0 home lead.

Within three minutes the Wolfpack were back level when Liam Kay found space on the overlap to round in the left corner and improve the angle. Craig Hall slotted the conversion between the uprights.on nineteen minutes the visitors took the lead when Quentin Laulu-Togagae took a Jonny Pownall pass to go over under the sticks.

On twenty-five an attempted intercept from Kay on his own twenty almost came off but the ball slipped through his fingers. It was picked up by Greg Johnson who stepped inside the Toronto defenders to go fifteen metres to score. After a long stoppage in play while the Wolfpack's James Laithwaite was stretchered from the field, Dobson added the extra two for 12-12.

On the thirty minutes mark Ryan Brierley got his debut try when he cut through the Devils defensive line and dove over. An off the ball incident (possibly dissent) saw Justin Carney red-carded, a hammer blow for the home side. Hall failed to add the conversion, the Wolfpack just four points ahead.

After Robert Lui was hit late when putting in a kick, Toronto were put on a team warning and Salford were given a penalty on the Toronto twenty. Two tackles into the set of six, Johnson found space wide and crossed for his second by the right corner flag. Dobson kicked the extra two and the twelve man home side had an 18-16 lead.

Jonny Pownall had a try ruled out in the dying seconds for a toe in touch, the Red Devils taking a two point lead into the interval.

On forty-six the Red Devils kept the ball alive on the last tackle and following what looked like a reckless offload from Welham, Michael Dobson picked up a bounce ball and rounded by the left corner flag. Gareth O'Brien failed to convert from the touchline and the lead was just one converted try.

Robert Lui looked to have scored on sixty-seven to seal the Red Devils win but referee Smith ruled out the four pointer after Lui lost control in the act of scoring. But within a minute some tremendous determination and strength from Gareth O'Brien saw him push through three tackles to ground on the line. He converted his own try for 28-16.

A seventy-first minute O'Brien drop goal took the margin to thirteen points and sealed the home win and progress into the hat for the sixth round.

Panic rugby from the Wolfpack led to error after error in the closing stages but a Fuifui Moimoi try after the final hooter regained a little bit of second half pride for Toronto. Hall added the extra two from in front of the sticks for a final score of 29-22.

Salford triumphed in a scrappy and bad tempered affair. Their twelve men were just too good for the Wolfpack who suffered their first competitive defeat of the season. Toronto didn't have the composure that they have shown during their all-conquering run in Championship One but all associated with Salford will be relieved that they came through this tricky test.


Devils: O'Brien (T, G, DG), Johnson (2T), Jones, Welham (T), Carney J. (SO), Luí, Dobson (T, 3G), Mossop, Wood, Tasi, Griffin, Murdoch-Masila , Flanagan. Subs: Krasniqi, Kopczak, Wayne, Brining.

Wolfpack: Laulu-Togagae (T), Pownall, Worthing, Hall (3G), Kay (T), Wallace, Brierley (T), Moimoi (T), Beswick, Emmitt, Dixon, Laithwaite, Bussey. Subs: Jacks, Whiting, Sidlow, Bailey.

Referee: Jack Smith.

Half-Time: 18-16.

Full-Time: 29-22.

Attendance: .