The Catalans Dragons want to improve their form this Saturday (9 p.m.), on the occasion of the reception of the London Broncos to close the 2024 Super League season in Perpignan. The defeats, Friday evening, of Leeds and Leigh keep alive more than ever the Dracs’ hopes of qualification.
Seven weeks after their last victory at Gilbert-Brutus (24-16 against Hull FC on July 27), the Catalans Dragons hope to avenge the affront of their defeat against Wigan (18-26) and these four consecutive defeats. A series that comes at the worst possible time and while their competitors have been stringing together performances. “We deserve to be where we are today, at this point in the season. We have to accept that and we have to finish the season as well as possible. We have a big game ahead of us against London and a big performance is needed.”summarizes before the debates, the coach Steve McNamara. A coach who logically insists on the fact that his team will have to “play better over time and we will have to do our job.”
Strong choices
The English coach has made several changes. Théo Fages, Matthieu Laguerre and Alrix Da Costa, present in Salford will not play this Saturday. The choice of the Abdull – Tomkins pair is preferred. Another change, the positioning of Benjamin Garcia behind the holding. Not a first, but an option towards a long-term lease? A possibility that holds water, knowing that Oliver Partington, recruited for next season is a third row. Steve McNamara tried this week to keep his players under pressure, for the last two meetings of the season. A new situation for the Dragons, used to playing in the Top 2 and therefore a semi-final in Perpignan. The situation has changed, the Dragons are no longer at the table of the big boys of the competition this season and they must assume this new status. “We haven’t been consistent this year, we had a good start to the season, where we had a lot of victories, but in the last third of the season we lost the rhythm. We tried to find some momentum at times, but we were never able to put in a complete performance over 80 minutes and that hurts us,” said Steve McNamara doubtfully, who has been looking for this famous consistency for many months.
Treating the recovery
The lack of consistency is annoying, as much as it frustrates. This season, the Catalan Dragons have conceded 60% of their tries in the second half (43 tries out of 71). It is regularly at the beginning of the second half that they crack (16 tries). It is up to them to take care of the manner for this last of the season in Perpignan. “We can win our next two games and we are capable of getting back into good shape”said McNamara, who acknowledges that the team is “fallen into ses “through last weekend. It was déjà vu. Before half-time and at the start of the second half, we lost the thread of the game, but I remain optimistic that the fact that we can regain momentum and win the last two matches”. It is up to the Dragons to respond, one last time in front of their public and to keep their heads held high while waiting for the rest of the events and the Leigh – St-Helens, but also the Hull KR – Leeds next Friday. Qualification requires a victory this Saturday evening.
