SAINTS continued their title defence with a comfortable 52-6 win over the Red Devils.

They showed no sign of keeping their powder dry for next week’s World Club Challenge showdown with South Sydney when they rattled in 10 tries against an admittedly woeful Salford.

The Red Devils always spend big and promise so much, but again they folded as soon as the Saints let rip.

One of the star men for Saints was again Joe Greenwood – a player who coach Keiron Cunningham had initially planned putting on loan to Featherstone before some impressive stints in pre-season caused a change of heart.

The tall back rower scored two and was pretty involved in Saints attack with his penetrative midfield running.

Saints came into the game having made three changes to the side that won against Catalans last Friday.

Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook and Luke Thompson returned from injury to join an all-forwards bench, while Mark Flanagan slotted in for Josh Jones at loose forward with Lance Hohaia and Greg Richards missing out.

Two early unconverted tries from centres Mark Percival and Jordan Turner gave Saints a good start.

And then Greenwood was rewarded by running a good line close to the Reds try line for a touchdown goaled by Percival.

Salford got a foothold they probably didn’t deserve when Saints kicked through a speculative one on the last tackle power play – but it left Ben Jones-Bishop with an open run against two props.

Michael Dobson cut the deficit to 14-8, but Saints had the last word of the half when Thompson took Jon Wilkin’s pass to power in.

Saints made it 24-6 when Tommy Makinson gave his opposite number the slip on the right flank for a first minute score.

Percival grabbed his second from a fortuitous bounce thsat was well chased up and the floodgates were open.

Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook drove over from close range, and then the game was marred by Gareth Hock being yellow yarded for a challenge on Mose Masoe after earlier being put on report for an incident.

Greenwood and then Turner both went over for their seconds, with Andre Savelio having the last word from another high kick well caught and released by Percival.

Salford: Locke; Jones-Bishop, Griffin, Caton-Brown, Johnson; Chase, Dobson; Taylor, Lee, Hock, Hansen, Walne, Paterson. Subs: Fages, Griffin, Tasi, Walne.

Saints: Lomax; Makinson, Percival, Turner, Swift; Burns, Wilkin; Amor, Roby, Maoe, Greenwood, Vea, Flanagan. Subs: Walmsley, Savelio, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Thompson.