Super League: Catalans Dragons 46-16 Leeds Rhinos

Before scoring a brace against Leeds, Thomas Bosc had only scored two tries in 17 previous Super League appearances this season

Super League leaders Leeds Rhinos suffered their heaviest defeat of the season as a Catalans Dragons side out of semi-final contention eased to a 46-16 victory in Perpignan.

First-half Thomas Bosc, Todd Carney and Krisnan Inu tries put Dragons 18-0 up.

Bosc and Inu crossed for further tries and Jordan Sigismeau went over for Catalans before Ryan Hall responded.

Catalans' Jeff Lima and Elliott Whitehead then traded tries with Leeds' Danny McGuire and Joel Moon.

It is the second successive defeat for Leeds since they thrashed Hull KR 50-0 in the Challenge Cup final last month and leaves them top of Super League ahead of Wigan Warriors on points difference alone.

Half-back Scott Dureau, making his last home appearance for Catalans before returning to Australia, took an intercept pass before breaking away to send Bosc over for the opening score.

Inu did well to jump and claim Carney's kick for Dragons' second, before Carney went over himself.

After the break, Whitehead did well to link up with Bosc for his second, while a Moon knock-on deep in Leeds territory eventually resulted in Inu again beating Tom Briscoe to claim another kick to score.

And Dragons were in again when Sigismeau pounced on a loose off-load from Carl Ablett to race 80 metres and touch down.

Moon found Hall with a looping pass and the winger crossed in the corner to finally hit back for Leeds, only for Lima to then go in for Dragons.

McGuire, who signed a new two-year deal on Friday, went in for his 257th try for Leeds before Whitehead dotted down Dragons' eighth try of the day and Moon pulled another consolation try back for Leeds.

Catalans Dragons: Escare; Bosc, Inu, Gigot, Sigismeau; Carney, Dureau; Elima, Henderson, Lima, Taia, Whitehead, Baitieri.

Replacements: Pelissier, Garcia, Bousquet, Maria.

Leeds Rhinos: Hardaker; T Briscoe, Ablett, Moon, Hall; Sinfield, McGuire; Leuluai, Cuthbertson, Peacock, Achurch, S Ward, Delaney.

Replacements: Walters, Singleton, Lilley, Garbutt.

Referee: Robert Hicks