Wakefield (19) 29
Tries: Blanch 2, Wilkes, Atkins 2 Goals: Martin 4 Drop-goals: Drew

Salford (0) 10
Tries: Myler, Talau Goal: Wilshere

Wakefield continued their promising start to the new Super League season after a first-half blitz saw off newcomers Salford at Belle Vue.

Tries from Damien Blanch, Oliver Wilkes and Ryan Atkins helped the Wildcats into a 19-0 lead at the break.

Salford rallied with a Richard Myler try but Wakefield would not fold.

Atkins and Blanch killed off the game with tries in the last five minutes, although Willie Talau grabbed a late Salford consolation.

It was a second win in three outings for the Wildcats and fired another shot at the critics who wrote off their chances this term.

The only downside for them was another serious-looking injury, this time to Scott Grix, for their already threadbare squad.

Grix, who started at scrum-half, was helped from the field late in the first half with a leg problem.

Any further absence would see him join a casualty list that already includes four other playmakers in Sam Obst, Jamie Rooney, Danny Brough and Tevita Leo-Latu.

Wakefield coach John Kear:

"It was a superb 80-minute display. I thought the first half was excellent from all the work we have done on the training field and the second half was excellent because we showed the Wakefield traits of guts, character and determination.

"We hung in there in the second half. That was a real backs-against-the-wall effort."

Kear on the injured Grix:

"We haven't got a half-back now, that's basically the top and bottom of it. If you haven't got a half-back it is difficult to cause problems.

"You have just got to roll your sleeves up and work your rocks off. That's what they have done and come up with the reward."

Salford coach Shaun McRae said:

"In the first half we weren't there at all, in all facets. Offensive, defensively and kicking, we came a long second in all those areas.

"We had a very poor start and when you give them a 19-point start it is going to be awfully hard to come back.

"I would give our guys credit for their second-half performance, I thought they were a lot better."

Wakefield: Blaymire, Blanch, Gleeson, Atkins, Halley, Martin, Grix, Wilkes, Drew, Stosic, Ferguson, Henderson, Demetriou.
Replacements: Bibb, Bibey, Pitts, Snitch.

Salford: Fitzpatrick, Wilshere, Littler, Talau, Henry, Smith, Myler, Cashmere, Alker, Stapleton, Parker, Adamson, Swain.
Replacements: Sibbit, Paul, Leuluai, Nash.

Referee: I Smith (Oldham)

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