Wigan Warriors "brilliance" was the difference, says Salford coach

Wigan never led until Jackson Hastings' dramatic drop goal with less than three minutes to go, which snatched a 17-16 win.

Marshall said: “I thought the better team lost. The game was probably the story of our season and we contributed to our own downfall.

“The Salford attitude I love and respect was there in abundance. We were not smart enough as a group but we will get experience through learning. We will take the good points from the game and learn from the negatives.

“The difference between the teams was marginal – just a couple of moments of brilliance by a couple of their players. I thought Wigan had to work for every single inch today. There was loads of effort from us but we need to start winning some games.”

Salford welcomed supporters back into the AJ Bell Stadium for the first time in more than 430 days and Marshall said he was delighted to have them back.

He said: “They definitely had a big impact on the way we played. The fans were outstanding and I’m just sorry we couldn’t get a win. We deserved something from the game but credit to the Salford faithful.

“Ultimately it’s about getting wins and climbing up the table. We are improving but the rate of improvement is not accelerated. we keep going. On the whole our effort is outstanding but our smarts need to improve.”