Super League: Catalans Dragons 24-22 Wakefield Trinity - French side stutter to victory

Catalans have won their last six 'home' meetings with Wakefield (including fixtures at St Helens in 2021 and at Huddersfield in 2020).

Catalans Dragons claimed a first win of the new campaign but it was an error-strewn performance as last season's beaten Grand Finalists beat Wakefield.

Matthieu Laguerre, Fouad Yaha and Samisoni Langi went over in the first half before Benjamin Garcia's try sealed victory for the French club.

But Wakefield kept in touch with tries from Matt Jowitt, two for Tom Johnstone and Tom Lineham's score at the death.

It was a second consecutive defeat to begin Trinity's Super League campaign.

But it was a very game performance in a fixture where they were widely predicted to struggle against last year's League Leaders' Shield winners.

Winger Lineham looked to be giving them hope with 15 minutes remaining as he streaked away down the right, only for Josh Drinkwater to make a superb tap tackle five yards from the try-line.

In the first half, Drinkwater floated a pass to set up Catalans' second try for Yaha on the left wing after Laguerre had produced a wonderful finish for the opening try, diving into the right corner.

A third try, with Langi finding an outside shoulder, gave the hosts a clear lead before Garcia powered over from short range after the break.

Sam Tomkins kicked a penalty to extend the lead to 24-10 and in the final reckoning it proved the winning score as a series of mistakes prevented Catalans from putting their opposition away.

Wakefield rallied in the final 10 minutes with a smart finish from Johnstone, darting in from the left wing, before Lineham broke away to score with the final play.

Catalans head coach Steve McNamara:

"I thought we were dominant throughout but we missed so many opportunities.

"We had so many chances to score tries but we just blew them. Wakefield showed great tenacity to stay in the game.

"But our discipline, when we had Wakefield in difficult positions, let us down too many times. It's just not good enough.

"We've got a really short turnaround before Leeds on Thursday and we know what we have to work on. But we will be without another forward after Mickael Goudemand failed his head injury assessment, which obviously makes our job more difficult."

Wakefield head coach Willie Poching:

"We know what we are capable of and we were unlucky not to come out on top. We face St Helens next week and that's (last season's) two Grand Finalists, but we've shown that we fear no-one.

"Teams like Catalans and St Helens make you work hard, and to perform like we did tonight will give us great confidence.

"There's a massive element of pride in how we dug ourselves out of a hole but also disappointment that we gave such a quality team a leg-up that they didn't need."

Catalans: Tomkins, Laguerre, Whare, Langi, Yaha, Pearce, Drinkwater, Garcia, Whitley, McMeeken, Goudemand, McIlorum, Dezaria.

Interchanges: Da Costa, Chan, May, Kasiano.

Wakefield: Jowitt, Lineham, Batchelor, Hall, Johnstone, Walker, Bowes, Crowther, Ashurst, Pitts, Battye, Hood, Arona.

Interchanges: Whitbread, Aydin, Kay, Shaw.

Referee: Tom Grant.

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