Super League: Catalans Dragons 40-8 Warrington Wolves - Les Dracs beat Wire to keep pace with leaders St Helens

Mitchell Pearce scored for the fourth straight match

Catalans wore down Warrington in Perpignan to move within two points of Super League leaders St Helens.

Connor Wrench's score put Wire 6-2 ahead after Sam Tomkins' penalty goal, but Tom Davies replied as the first half ended all-square.

Tomkins and Peter Mata'utia traded penalties before Mitchell Pearce and Julian Bousquet put Catalans in charge.

Gil Dudson, Fouad Yaha and Arthur Mourgue all crossed late on as Dragons eased to a sixth straight home win.

Catalans ended Warrington's three-match winning start in Super League when the teams met in England in March, a result which has since sparked a run of seven defeats in nine matches.

But things looked promising when full-back Josh Thewlis' break took Warrington deep into Catalans territory before the ball was worked to the right touchline where Wrench reached out to dot down.

Catalans responded with sustained pressure on the Wolves line and finally capitalised when Tyrone May's super flicked pass out of the tackle found Davies to finish in the right corner.

The hosts continued to threaten but were unable to take advantage of their dominance, while Warrington, whose best moments came from broken play, were relieved to go in level.

Tomkins, who signed a new Catalans deal this week, edged the hosts ahead with a second penalty and then made a try-saving tackle to stop Wrench's rapid break as Wire responded well and levelled through Mata'utia's boot.

Catalans got the crucial next score when video referee Ben Thaler ruled Pearce had grounded the ball after being flipped onto his back as he crossed the line, with the Australian stand-off scoring for a fourth match running.

And when Bousquet powered over from close range it sparked a burst of four tries in the final 12 minutes as the visitors wilted and the French side turned on the style with some Gallic flair, finished off by Dudson, Yaha and Morgue.

Catalans: Napa, McIlorum, Bousquet, Whitley, Chan, Garcia, Mourgue, Pearce, Yaha, Laguerre, May, Davies, Tomkins.

Interchanges: Dudson, Goudemand, Dezaria, Kasiano.

Warrington: Thewlis, Wrench, Mata'utia, Currie, Ashton, Ratchford, Williams, Mulhern, D Clark, Cooper, Longstaff, Holmes, Magoulias.

Interchanges: Philbin, J Clark, Bullock, Walker,

Referee: L Moore

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