Super League: Catalans Dragons 44-12 Castleford Tigers - Les Dracs run in eight tries in Perpignan

Arthur Mourgue's try and five goals earned him an individual 14-point haul

Catalans Dragons secured their third Super League win in four matches as they ran in eight tries to see off Castleford Tigers in Perpignan.

Centre Mathieu Laguerre led the way with a hat-trick for the hosts.

But Julian Bousquet, Mitchell Pearce, Tyrone May, Arthur Mourgue and Matt Whitley all crossed the whitewash too.

All Lee Radford's Cas had to offer in response was a try in each half for Gareth O'Brien and young winger Jason Qareqare, for the second week running.

While Castleford were missing injured scrum-half Danny Richardson and full-back Niall Evalds, Catalans were without five key injured players - Sam Tomkins, Josh Drinkwater, Mike McMeeken, Dean Whare and Samisoni Langi and the suspended NRL-bound Joe Chan.

But Drinkwater's replacement May was at the heart of everything for Catalans, combining brilliantly with his fellow Australian Pearce.

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France prop Bousquet got things going on his return after eight weeks recovering from a broken arm when he touched down by the posts in the 10th minute, allowing full-back Mourgue the chance to add the first of five conversions.

May then split the Tigers' defence to put Pearce over nine minutes later before the Samoa international scrum-half shrugged off three tacklers to score himself.

O'Brien quickly hit back with a breakaway try which he converted himself before Laguerre forced his way over five minutes from the interval to make it 22-6.

But Catalans took just four minutes to add to their score when May delayed a pass for Mourgue to score, to which the full-back added the conversion himself.

Second-rower Whitley was next to score for the hosts from another clever May pass in the 53rd minute before May kicked over the Tigers defence to set up Laguerre's second try.

Cas scored again when centre Mahe Fonua's interception and 40-metre sprint set up teenage flier Qareqare - but Laguerre had the last word from Pearce's kick-through.

Catalans coach Steve McNamara:

"We have some senior players out but the squad is confident. Tyrone May and Mitchell Pearce are both confident players. They have been around the NRL and they've arrived in a new competition. They were both great.

"Arthur Romano was really good, Mathieu Laguerre and Arthur Mourgue at full-back were all very good for us. They are all Super League players who are ready to play at the very top whenever needed.

"Matt Parr has come in as our head of performance and he has increased the intensity in how we do things. We looked worse against Toulouse in our second game in 20 days than we did in our third. We seem to have become stronger, fitter and faster."

Castleford coach Lee Radford:

"There will be some nasty highlight reels for one or two of our blokes out there. We were shocking, second-best in every department.

"And, when you're second-best in the physicality, especially the way they play, it didn't give us any chance to win the game. Fortunately, we don't seem to have any injury problems, but there may be some bruised pride in the dressing room. We were flat.

"We knew there would be a response from Catalans after their game against Hull. They were second-best in the middle against Hull and we got the backlash. It's a cruel sport and it finds you out when your attitude is not quite right. We were nowhere near them."

Catalans: Mourgue; Davies, Romano, Laguerre, Yaha; Pearce, May; Bousquet, McIlorum, Napa, Jullien, Whitley, Garcia.

Interchanges: Seguier, Goudemand, Dezaria, Kasiano.

Castleford: Clare; Olpherts, Mamo, Fonua, Qaraqare; O'Brien, Trueman; Watts, McShane, Griffin, Edwards, Lawler, Westerman.

Interchanges: Milner, Massey, Smith, Martin.

Referee: Liam Moore (RFL).

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