Solving the international puzzle

 We were all looking forward to the World Cup. Particularly, the Greece v France game - The Forbidden Derby - in the group stages and what promised to be a great fun event at Leeds when Ireland faced Jamaica.

But as we know now, it ain't happening. Well, not any time soon, and if things haven't changed much in twelve months we'll be back in the same position again. Given how little has changed in the last 18 months, we're not holding out huge confidence in the same issues rearing their heads again.

The big problem was of course the NRL. With Australian quarantine rules, any player coming over would end up missing a chunk of their pre-season, a situation that simply cannot be abided despite the obvious benefits to the global game. If it's not NRL, it's not their problem, and therefore can be treated with contempt, even if the players were up for it.

It's clear that the Australian game doesn't have the best interests of the international game at heart. How many times have the Kangaroos even played since the last World Cup? It's not very many. And indeed, they trampled on a mid-season international break some years ago so even sides willing to play one another would struggle to raise competitive sides.

There's only one solution to the impasse.

Disband the Kangaroos.

Seems a bit extreme, obviously, but if they're not even going to play games, would they even be missed? Let them have their Origin and let the rest of us get on with it. Let James Tedesco play for Italy, Tom Trbojevic for Serbia, Ryan Papenhuyzen for the Netherlands. Let's see teams who want to get it on do so, without that permanent feeling that any second-generation player for an emerging nation will soon be in green and gold. Let's have fun, fun that the presence of the Kangaroos invariably destroys, or at least disrupts.

Bin 'em off, the rest of us get on with it and maybe, just maybe, when they see we're having fun and progressing without them, they might actually get it.

St Helens 34 - 12 Catalans Dragons

 The run is over, but what a time it has been to follow this club and its fortunes. 

My hope is that we don't look back on this mid part of 2021 and identify it as the highlight. There is still much to play for and we have to continue to go for it. 

Don't leave it in the stands and on the touchline, leave it all on the park. 

Of course injuries are starting to bite, but its the same for all so we still have a chance. 

St Helens (20) 34

T : Tommy Makinson, Lewis Dodd, Regan Grace, Joe Batchelor, Lachlan Coote

G : Lachlan Coote 7

Dragons Catalans (6) 12

T : Matthieu Laguerre, Mickael Goudemand

G : James Maloney 2

Dragons : Mourgue, Franco, Whare, Laguerre, Yaha, Maloney, Rougé, Dudson, Da Costa, Goudemand, Jullien, McMeeken, J.Tomkins

Subs : Séguier, Le Cam, Chan, Dezaria

Saints : Coote, Makinson, Naiqama, Percival, Grace, Lomax, Dodd, Walmsley, Roby, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Thompson, Batchelor, Knowles

Subs : Mata’utia, Amor, Paasi, Welsby

Stadium : Totally Wicked Stadium

Referee : Liam Moore

Yellow card : Joe Chan, Sione Mata’utia

Ex-Drac theme continues at nearby Palau

Thanks to our ongoing love of Oliver Elima we have always held a candle for Palau Broncos. 

Their voluntary relegation down to the Ligue National is a sad thing for us. 

Benoit Albert left the club at the end of the season having replaced Olivier Elima midway through the stop-start 2020/2021 campaign. 

The club had thrown a bit more money into the campaign so to end up going down the leagues will have been galling. 

However a ray of light has come with the annoucement of their head coach for next season. 

Rodney Howe is a name that needs no introduction to Catalans fans having working in S&C at Stade Gilbert Brutus. 

He was always an excitable proposition behind the posts dishing out water when we'd conceded. 

We wish him luck in the job and will be keeping our usual eye on our second favourite teams journey this winter. 

Hull KR 16 - 23 Catalans Dragons

 Hull KR (4) 16

T : Adam Quinlan 2

G : Jordan Abdull 3

DG :

Catalans Dragons (8) 23

T : Romain Franco, Samisoni Langi, Sam Tomkins

G : James Maloney 5

DG : James Maloney

Catalans Dragons produced a strong performance to beat Hull KR and win a twelfth game in a row.

Team sheet

Dragons : S.Tomkins, Franco, Whare, Langi, Yaha, Maloney, Drinkwater, Dudson, Da Costa, Goudemand, Jullien, McMeeken, J.Tomkins

Subs: Mourgue, Séguier, Chan, Kasiano

Hull KR : Quinlan, Crooks, Minikin, Kenny-Dowall, Hall, Takairangi, Abdull, Maher, Parcell, King, Johnson, Linnett, Hadley

Subs: Vete, Litten, Lawler, Storton

Stadium : Hull College Craven Park

Referee: Robert Hicks

Lots of praise for Sam Tomkins as Dragons run continues

 Love Rugby League has a couple of articles talking about Sam Tomkins at the moment. 

One includes a podcast link with George Riley and is well worth a listen. 

So here are the links in case you missed them. 

McNamara says Sam is natural leader > Click here

Tomkins to settle in France post retirement > Click here

We love Samkins and are really enjoying his contribution to the team at the moment. 

Catalans Dragons 40-20 Wakefield Trinity

Catalans Dragons (20) 40

T : Sam Tomkins, Alrix Da Costa, Sam Kasiano, Gil Dudson, Fouad Yaha 2

G : James Maloney 8

Wakefield Trinity (12) 20

T : Yusuf Aydin, David Fifita 2

G : Mason Lino 4

Catalans Dragons secured a 40-20 victory over Wakefield at the Gilbert Brutus Stadium. 

Steve McNamara's side produced another hardworking performance to beat their today's opponents. First season try from Alrix Da Costa and first Super League try from Gil Dudson under the Catalan jersey helped the Dragons to get their 11th consecutive win in Super League this season.

Thanks to this victory, Catalans reinforce their position at the top of the table before travelling to Hull KR next Monday.

Dragons : S.Tomkins, Davies, Whare, Langi, Yaha, Maloney, Drinkwater, Dudson, Da Costa, Bousquet, Whitley, Jullien, J.Tomkins

Subs : Mourgue, Séguier, Goudemand, Kasiano

Wakefield : Jowitt, Senior, Lyne, Arundel, Kay, Miller, Lino, Fifita, Wood, Arona,  Ashurst, Tanginoa, Aydin

Subs : Battye, Green, Walker, Hampshire

Stadium : Gilbert Brutus

Referee : Marcus Griffiths

Attendance : 6 267

Man of the Match : Dean Whare

Catalans Dragons 32-30 Hull KR

Dragons Catalans (12) 32

T : Matt Whitley 2, Sam Tomkins, Mickael Goudemand, Fouad Yaha

G : Arthur Mourgue 6

Hull KR (26) 30

T : Jordan Abdull 2, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Greg Minikin, Adam Quinlan

G : Jordan Abdull 5

Catalans Dragons secured a 10th Super League win a row as they have beaten 32-30 Hull KR at Brutus.

After a disappointing first half, Steve McNamara's side found the way to come back, once again, to get the victory on the edge.

Tries from Matt Whitley, Sam Tomkins, Mickael Goudemand and Fouad Yaha helped the Dragons to strenghten their position at the top of the Super League table thanks to 13 wins in 14 games

Dragons : S.Tomkins, Davies, Whare, Langi, Yaha, Mourgue, Drinkwater, Dudson, Da Costa, Bousquet, Whitley, McMeeken, Garcia

Subs : Jullien, Séguier, Goudemand, Kasiano

Hull KR : Quinlan, Crooks, Minikin, Kenny-Dowall, Hall, Takairangi, Abdull, Lawler, Litten, Maher, Johnson, Linnett, Hadley

Subs : Vete, Parcell, Sims, King

Stadium : Stade Gilbert Brutus

4 new deals at the Dragons

There have been new contracts agreed with a number of key Dragons players in recent weeks. 

This is brilliant news and highlights the need to keep this squad together over the coming years. 

Skipper Ben Garcia was the first to sign, with a long term deal that effectively sees the best years of his career being at the Stade Gilbert Brutus. 

Hot property and England international Tom Davies has a similar extension to hopefully ward off suitors of his from the NRL. 

He is in brilliant form and getting the best run of try scoring of his career. 

Sam Tomkins just gets one more year and we hope he will keep up his current level of performance for 2021 and 2022.

Finally Josh Drinkwater adds 2 years to his contract in a real comeback after a tough stint at Hull KR. 

JD famously came from building site to Perpignan before starring in our 2018 cup win. However future terms couldn't be agreed and he went to Hull KR before returning in 2020. 

He has been exceptional all season. 

• Ben Garcia - 3 years
• Tom Davies - 3 years
• Sam Tomkins - 1 year
• Josh Drinkwater - 2 years

Thanks to all for their efforts to date for the club and long may their current success continue. 

Leeds 18-26 Catalans & Catalans 27-18 Leeds

9th July

 Leeds Rhinos (18) 18

T : Rhyse Martin, Bodene Thompson, Liam Sutcliffe

G : Rhyse Martin 3

Catalans Dragons (8) 26

T : Arthur Mourgue, Matt Whitley, Mike McMeeken, Fouad Yaha

G : James Maloney 2, Arthur Mourgue 3

The Dragons kept Leeds scoreless after the break to get the first win of this test series double header against the Rhinos. 

16th July

Dragons Catalans (2) 27

T : Sam Kasiano, Arthur Mourgue, Matt Whitley, Tom Davies

G : Arthur Mourgue 5

DG : Sam Tomkins 

Leeds Rhinos (18) 18

T : Tom Briscoe 2, Kruise Leeming

G : Luke Gale 3

The 90's big beat act Propellerheads would be looking to get a re-release for their big hit with Shirley Bassey to describe this one. 

And it was all just a littlbe bit of history repeating itself with the Dracs down and almost out at half time before getting back over Leeds in the home straight. 

Top of the league and grinding out results. This isn't how its supposed to be is it?

Huddersfield 12-50 Catalans Dragons

Huddersfield Giants (0) 12

T : Ashton Golding, Jake Wardle

G : Oliver Russell 2

Catalans Dragons (20) 50

T : Benjamin Jullien, Mike McMeeken, Samisoni Langi, Benjamin Garcia, Arthur Mourgue, Sam Tomkins, James Maloney, Tom Davies

G : James Maloney 9

This bizarre season of Superleague continued with the Dragons pounding Hudderfield Giants at the John Smiths Stadium. 

The run now stands at 7 wins in a row before our encounter with improving Leeds Rhinos. 

With a 20-0 lead at the break it would have taken one of those impolosions we have become used to seeing in previous seasons to lose this one, but the Dracs added to their advantage and kept their hosts at arms length. 

8 tries and 8 different scorers shows that maybe we are beginning to ease our reliance on Tom Davies for the four pointers and that can only be a good thing.