Saints’ winning run in Super League came to an end at six games as they were edged out by Catalans Dragons in Perpignan on Saturday (July 2).
This was always a tough assignment on paper despite the Dragons’ surprise defeat at Castleford in their previous outing. When it was confirmed that Saints had travelled to France on the day of the game alarm bells rang. Memories of that shock defeat at Toulouse in March jumped to the front of my mind. The explanation given for the decision was that the team had encountered difficulties with the journey home when they stayed over on their second visit to Toulouse a month ago which had impacted preparations for the next game.
The next game in this case is Wigan at Magic Weekend in Newcastle on Saturday. If the question is which game would you rather prepare thoroughly for then the answer is fairly obvious. But do you have to choose? Is it not possible to travel to Perpignan the day before the game and get back without it impacting preparation for a game happening a full week later? In the current climate of travel chaos maybe not. But who among us would be surprised if the problems on the route back from Toulouse last time were the result of a financial decision? Travel arrangements are far from the only reason this one got away. There were lots of reasons as we will see. But travelling on the day was always going to be raised as a factor should the result not go the right way.
Another factor was the problems surrounding our squad at present. On game day it was revealed that Konrad Hurrell had not travelled due to illness. Hurrell has been Saints’ most in-form player of late and was sorely missed. Mark Percival’s continued absence and that of Will Hopoate meant that Saints went in with only two players in their regular positions in what you might call their strongest back five. That figure would be reduced to one when Tommy Makinson was withdrawn with a hamstring problem after just 25 minutes. Excitement at Sione Mata’utia’s return from suspension was justified but he had to fill in at centre once more. By the time of Makinson’s injury we were running with a right edge of Joe Batchelor at centre and Ben Davies on the wing. Jon Bennison again filled in for Hopoate at fullback,
Not ideal then. But before we get too sorry for ourselves consider this list. Arthur Mourgue, Tom Davies, Mike McMeeken, Benjamin Garcia, Tyrone May, Jordan Dezaria, Julian Bousquet and Joe Chan. All of these were missing for Steve McNamara’s side. It was a tight game, almost coin-flip territory. But if you look only at the result you might suggest that the Dragons coped with their absences better in a battle between two banged up teams. Both will have days when they are stronger between now and the run up to the September 24 Grand Final.
The way Saints started the game showed no signs of any concern about who was not present. They were a little indisciplined to begin with - conceding three penalties in the first eight minutes - but by then had already opened the scoring. Just five minutes were on the clock when James Roby, Jonny Lomax and Jack Welsby combined to give Mata’utia a walk in on the left edge. There was a hint of a forward pass from Welsby as he registered his 18th assist of the season but there were no complaints from any Dragons defenders. Welsby’s 19th assist would arrive later. Only Tui Lolohea and Jake Connor have delivered the killer pass more often this term. It was Mata’utia’s fourth try of a season too frequently interrupted by injury and suspension. Makinson could not add the extras but Saints were off to a positive start leading 4-0.
It got better for Saints eight minutes later. Roby and Lomax caught the Catalans defence out on the short side and when Batchelor expertly found Makinson the Saints winger exchanged passes with Lomax and dived over in the right hand corner for a superb score. It was a slick move which would have unlocked any Super League defence and was Makinson’s 17th try of the Super League season. Nobody else in the competition can match that tally so far in 2022. Yet unlike the batting of Jonny Bairstow the fours were not turning into sixes as Makinson again failed to land the conversion. Those early misses would prove costly but for now Saints were in charge at 8-0.
And so here comes the controversy. There’s always something, isn’t there? Davies was taking what Terry O’Connor boringly refers to as a ‘tough carry’ away from his own end of the field when he was met with the full force of Dylan Napa’s rule-breakery. Sent off against Saints on his Dragons debut in February the former Sydney Rooster and Canterbury Bulldog attempted to pay tribute to his own act, clubbing Davies in the head with his shoulder.
That kind of contact - direct to the head and delivered with a large helping of shoulder was a stonewall red card in the clampdown of the early weeks of the season. It still should be. Yet after a lengthy delay during which he was presumably waiting for video referee Tom Grant to review the decision, on-field whistler James Child was seemingly advised that a yellow card would be sufficient. A punishment hasn’t been this lenient since Sam Powell only got six games for trying to paralyse Bennison. Napa has been referred to a tribunal on a Grade D charge and has subsequently been handed a five game ban. Which probably tells you all you need to know.
The officiating was somewhat improved when Saints went close soon after Napa’s departure. Roby put a testing kick into the in-goal from dummy half where Davies and Samisoni Langi both appeared to miss it before it was grounded by Sam Tomkins. It was reviewed to determine whether Davies had managed to ground the ball first but was correctly ruled a goal-line dropout.
When the Dragons did get back into the game it was on the back of a pretty basic mistake by Saints. Lomax uncharacteristically thumped a kick out on the full allowing the French side to take over in good field position. In the ensuing set Tomkins cut through the Saints defence on a 30 metre burst like it was 2012 all over again. That set up the position from where Josh Drinkwater lobbed a perfect right to left kick out to Fouad Yaha. The French international took it cleanly and although he was not able to get to the line himself he popped the ball up for Matthieu Laguerre to squeeze over. It was another decision sent up for review with an initial decision of no try as Lomax got to Laguerre just as he was grounding the ball. Yet replays showed the ball had hit the ground a fraction before the Dragons’ man went touch in-goal. Tomkins missed a tough conversion from out on the left touchline but Catalans were right back in it at 8-4.
All of that unfolded with Napa still in the sin bin. Saints still have the best defence in Super League even after shipping 20 points in this one so it was a surprise to see them allow Catalans to cross with one man fewer on the field. Not the sort of thing you expect from a side which currently allows opponents only 11.17 points per game. They were undone with a pinpoint kick from Drinkwater and there is further mitigation in the destruction of their regular right edge defence due to the absence of Hurrell and Makinson. Not that Saints coach Kristian Woolf will be offering that up as an excuse. He’ll no doubt view it as an area which needs to be tightened up.
Eight minutes later the reigning league leaders (minor premiers in NRL speak) hit the front. Again it was Saints’ right edge which was exposed. Drinkwater started the move in which Matt Whitley and Laguerre combined to send Yaha rampaging down the left touchline. As the cover converged on him he showed great presence of mind and no small amount of skill to send a perfectly weighted kick back towards the Saints posts. At which point it was missed by both Roby and Jake Wingfield allowing Drinkwater a fairly simple grounding. The central position of that grounding made Tomkins’ task with the conversion even more simple and the home side went in 10-8 up at the break.
Now if you think the fact that Catalans scored with 12 men on the field means we should not take for granted that we would have won had be stayed off, how do you think the Dragons would have coped with 11 men? With another referee on another day that is exactly what could have happened. Under a minute had gone by after the interval when Micky McIlorum- England international and former Head Boy at the Shaun Wane School Of Grubbery - should have had his afternoon ended early. Bennison had collected a high ball deep in his own half when Shithousery’s McIlorum tested the youngster’s appetite for punishment with a shoulder direct to the head. More subtle perhaps than Napa’s earlier effort but no less dangerous, it was deemed worthy of only a penalty by Child. The Match Review Panel clearly found that decision unpalatable and have slapped McIlorum with a three-match ban. And people complain that they don’t do anything.
Saints shook off that distraction and were the next to score. Drinkwater - who was otherwise excellent all evening - rather lost the plot when he picked up a ball from an offside position which had ricocheted into his path after Lomax’s attempt to kick through the defensive line had been blocked. A few plays later those old faithfuls Roby and Lomax linked up with Welsby who sent an exquisite looping pass over to Davies to allow the makeshift winger to dart in at the right hand corner. With Makinson off Davies took over the goal-kicking responsibilities himself. Yet he enjoyed no better fortune on this occasion and despite having scored three tries to the Dragons’ two Saints held only a two-point lead at 12-10.
Within seven minutes of scoring his third try of the season Davies was saving one at the other end. Yaha takes some stopping, but after he was put into space by the craft of Mitchell Pearce and Drinkwater Davies was equal to the challenge. Yaha looked almost certain to score before Davies clattered into him, forcing him into touch into the bargain.
Unfortunately it was a temporary reprieve for Saints as this fluctuating contest moved back in the direction of the hosts. Langi found himself on the end of a sweet move as Drinkwater put Whitley through a gap on the left, received it back from the back rower and found Langi on his left shoulder with an open run to the line. Tomkins landed his second goal to give the hosts a 16-12 lead.
Saints’ attempts to hit back where scuppered by their own indiscipline. Batchelor had put Saints in prime attacking position with a 30 metre burst down the right flank and after Child hit Catalans with two consecutive ‘6 again’ calls it needed Laguerre’s desperate hand to prevent Lomax from opening the door on the left hand side. Yet from the resultant scrum Child pinged Lomax for running around the back of James Bell after the ex-Leigh man had got his run through the defensive line all wrong. It was the second time in the game that Saints had been penalised while in possession after a first half incident in which Alex Walmsley had found himself in possession having been ahead of the play-the-ball. These are small miscues, but in a game this close they can take on extra significance.
Entering the last quarter the try that ultimately made the mountain too high to climb arrived. Again there was an element of self harm in the Saints defence as they conceded back-to-back repeat sets in quick succession to help the Dragons down the field. Once within range it was Pearce who picked the lock on this occasion, lobbing a sensational ball out to Arthur Romano. He quickly shuffled it back inside to Dean Whare who celebrated his return to the side after a 14-game absence with a simple try. Although Tomkins was again unsuccessful with the conversion McNamara’s side had some breathing space at 20-12.
Yet this is not a Saints team to let things go lightly. To paraphrase CJ From The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin they didn’t get where they are today by giving up when they go two scores behind. And where they are today is threepeating, back-to-back-to-back Super League champions. Within three minutes of Whare’s effort Welsby dragged his side back into the fight. The 2020 Grand Final hero is becoming more dominant as a playmaker with each game and showed on this play that he has game intelligence and no small amount of impudence.
There seemed little to do but defend and await another chance when Sam Kasiano rumbled forward 35 metres from his own line. Picking out Welsby he careered into the Saints man who looked as though he might need the assistance of Mata’utia to bring down the soon-to-be Warrington Wolf. Except he didn’t. As Mata’utia dropped off contact Welsby timed his act of grand larceny to perfection, ripping possession away from a bewildered Kasiano and sprinting away to dot down untouched. Child’s initial suspicion was that the steal had been fair, a first impression that was confirmed on review to get Saints back in it. With nobody in the vicinity of Welsby when he touched down he was able to do it under the posts to allow Davies to land Saints’ solitary goal of the day and reduce the arrears to 20-18.
Considering he was the only regular three-quarter playing in his natural position we hadn’t seen a huge amount of Regan Grace to this point. We won’t be seeing a whole lot more of him in the long term future either but that’s probably a whole different column. For now let me divert your attention to his sudden re-emergence as an attacking threat during the last 15 minutes of this one. It was a resurgence which ultimately led to him ending the game as Saints’ top metre maker. More on which later.
Firstly he caught a routine grass finder close to his own 20 metre line and somehow found a route through the defensive line before embarking on a 50 metre dash into Dragons territory. My one complaint about Grace has always been that I’m not sure he backs his ability enough. If he had really pinned back the ears and honed in on the try line he might have dismantled the Catalans defence and put Saints back in front. As it was his almost imperceptible hesitation allowed the not exactly Usain Bolt-like Pearce to drag him down from behind. The disappointment was compounded later in the set when Welsby lost possession under pressure from Pearce and Benjamin Jullien. Welsby’s claims that the ball had been stolen were waved away by Child.
Bennison offered hope with a great half break from deep inside his own half which had to be halted by Kasiano dragging him down by his collar. That sort of thing is frowned upon in the NFL but is apparently fair game in Super League. Saints couldn’t take advantage of the platform created anyway after Walmsley - having his one off day of the year - spilled possession near half way as another chance - like the time remaining - slipped away.
More valuable time was spent having to defend a period of pressure as Drinkwater forced Bennison to concede a dropout and then Welsby hastily played the ball to nobody three metres from his own line - at potentially disastrous cost to Lomax’s fragile head as Alrix Da Costa slid in. It was left to Morgan Knowles to put an end to the raid as he forced Kasiano to part company with the ball - not for the first time during the evening.
Back then to Grace, who scampered for another line-bending 20 metres having been put in space by Welsby. The Welshman handed on to Bennison and within two plays Saints were in field position not to be sniffed at at this stage of proceedings, 40 metres from their own line. Having started the set Grace ended it, if not quite in the way we would all have liked. Saints plotted their way down the field to manufacture a chance as Welsby, Curtis Sironen and Mata’utia were all involved in finding Grace.
This time there was no room for hesitation whatsoever. Yet rather than put his head down and go low Grace took the aerial route favoured by so many wide men in recent years. Annoyingly, Romano read those intentions and got enough of Grace to force him to ground the ball outside the field of play after first glancing the corner post. Child was unconvinced about the grounding but reviewed it just in case. His initial instincts had been spot on. Yet if Grace could have done better it was nothing compared to the ineptitude of the TV director who ran 5 or 6 replays before finding a useful one which showed the grounding. Little wonder televised matches finish late.
Saints needed that unshakable defence to fashion themselves another opportunity. Instead Tomkins sliced through it, dealing it if not a fatal blow then a very damaging one as he cut through on a 30 metre gallop to within 10 metres of the Saints line. Rather than risk a kick and the concession of a 7-tackle set the Dragons were content to turn it over on the last and leave Saints needing to go 95 metres to score. For all its qualities, and despite the fact that they rolled methodically down the field to create Grace’s chance moments earlier, Woolf’s Saints are not set up to go 95 metres quickly. His strength is in making sure they don’t need to do that very often. Which he has proven very good at.
A Wide To West moment never seemed likely here. The set ended with a Welsby kick deep into the Dragons half which there was no hope of chasing successfully. They would have to force a mistake. Yet when Knowles brushed the face of Gil Dudson it earned the hosts the penalty they needed to run out the clock and preserve the win.
It had been a pretty good advert for Super League, despite the result and despite never quite veering into classic territory. Top performers for Saints were Grace - most of whose 145 metres seemed to be earned late, Mata’utia who gained 128 and Welsby with 117. Even the slightly off colour Walmsley got through his customary century with 113. Three other Saints (Sironen 110, Bennison 105 and Lomax 104) passed that mark also.
Catalans’ best go-forward man was Tomkins with 126, a metre ahead of Yaha on 125 with Langi contributing 109. The fact that there were seven Saints over 100 metres and only three Dragons perhaps says something, though I’m not sure what.
Defensively Roby was again the main man for Saints, this time joined in the 30+Tackle Club by Knowles (39), Lees (36) and Batchelor (31). Roby outworked all of them with 46. Jullien was the only other man over 40 tackles on either side as he put in 42, while Whitley managed 32 and Pearce and Mikael Goudemand 30 apiece.
The error count was fairly low in a flowing game by modern Super League standards. Saints only had six misfires with Catalans offering one more at seven. This was despite Saints managing eight offloads and the Dragons five. It wasn’t Harlem Globetrotters stuff but nor was it up the jumper rugby either. Perhaps the most telling and decisive stat was the goal-kicking, where between them Makinson and Davies made only one of four while Tomkins landed two of four for the home side. That ultimately proved decisive but - just like travel arrangements - there are many more variables which win or lose a game.
An opportunity to obliterate Catalans’ chances of retaining the League Leaders Shield has been lost but the battle is still on. Starting with this weekend’s competition distorting Magic Weekend in Newcastle. In the usual show of imagination Saints have been paired with local rivals and currently second placed Wigan while the Dragons get to face off against hapless, couldn’t buy a ‘w’ in an upside-down M&M factory Warrington. What is more we are likely to face Wigan without Makinson who it was revealed by Woolf has a tight hamstring. Hurrell should be back but Hopoate’s involvement is about as reliable as Nadine Dorries at a Rugby League World Cup promotional event. Or Nadine Dorries anywhere, really.
Wigan can draw level with Saints at the top of Super League if they win the extra derby, but the champions will stay top unless the margin of their defeat is some calculator-busting cricket score. That seems a stretch, but the holes in Saints three-quarter line added to the ongoing issues in the halves and at fullback have perhaps given the match-up a more even feel to it.
Saints haven’t lost two in a row in the league since October 2020 when a 12-10 defeat at Salford was followed by an 18-6 home loss to Wigan. We all know how that season ended though and it is for that reason that Woolf does not concern himself with the destination of the League Leaders Shield.
Which is a pity because this time last week it was all but in the bag.
Catalans Dragons: Tomkins, Laguerre, Whare, Langi, Yaha, Pearce, Drinkwater, Dudson, McIlorum, Napa, Whitley, Jullien, Goudemand. Interchanges: Da Costa, Seguier, Romano, Kasiano
Saints: Bennison, Makinson, Davies, Mata’utia, Grace, Welsby, Lomax, Walmsley, Roby, Lees, Sironen, Batchelor, Knowles. Interchanges: Paasi, Lussick, Wingfield, Bell
Referee: James Child
Video Referee: Tom Grant
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