Salford City Reds football director Steve Simms believes the best is yet to come from Daniel Holdsworth.

The Australian star masterminded the club’s first win of the Super League season against Harlequins last weekend.

Holdsworth, a former Canterbury Bulldogs player, pulled the strings in the middle of the park to end a losing run stretching back to last August.

He was highly influential and impressive and Simms said: "A lot more will come from Holdsworth because he is a very good player.

"He created tries against Harlequins and ran more with the ball. He has settled in well and he kicked effectively. We were pleased to win and will now look to kick on. Two points can quickly pull you up the table. Holdsworth did well. He had a good reputation in Australia and we can look forward to him offering even more."

Victory over Harlequins delighted head coach Shaun McRae.

"We hope this is a catalyst for us," he said. "It’s a massive relief to have got a first win of the season and to move off the foot of the table. We’ve lit the fuse for the season and now it’s up to us to build on it. We played well against Leeds and Bradford recently but got nothing so there have been some good performances. We have been working hard over the last few weeks and we will play Wakefield on Sunday in a positive frame of mind."

Reds again look likely to be without Willie Talau who has a thigh injury for the away clash with the sixth-placed side (ko 3.30pm).

Ian Sibbit has undergone treatment on an ankle injury while Ray Cashmere could again be sidelined with a niggling calf injury. This would mean he misses out on facing his former Cowboys team mate Shane Tronc.

Coach McRae’s decision to leave talented youngster Stefan Ratchford out against Harlequins also came as something of a surprise. Rugby League legend Alex Murphy believes Ratchford’s pride will have been hurt.

He said: "Ratchford is a talented player and if I was him I’d really be wanting to show people what I can offer and bring to the team when I’m recalled.

"I don’t know what it is with coaches these days. They tend to see a young player do well and then drop them to show people just who is boss. We need to encourage home grown talent in my view and I want to see more English players in our game."

Bobbie Goulding, the French national coach, also heaped glowing praise on Ratchford after the Catalans game but stressed the need for Ratchford to play alongside an experienced scrum-half.

Goulding said: "Ratchford can certainly play but he could take a battering unless he has an old head alongside him.

"Someone like Paul Deacon would have been an ideal signing for Salford."

Salford now prepare to take on a Wakefield team in form and whose coach John Kear remains a contender for the vacant England coaching job. McRae is expected to start with the team who defeated Harlequins.