Super League: Wakefield Trinity 10-18 Catalans: Dragons keep League Leaders' Shield hopes alive

Catalans returned to the top of Super League with victory over Wakefield

Catalans bounced back from back-to-back defeats to keep their League Leaders' Shield hopes alive and plunge gutsy Wakefield Trinity closer to relegation.

Tom Johnstone made it six tries in three against his old club in 2023 to put the Dragons ahead, and Adam Keighran crossed off a switch play.

Tom Davies dived in at the corner to give Catalans daylight in a tense game in sticky conditions.

Kelepi Tanginoa and Lee Kershaw crossed for Trinity late on, but too late.

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With Castleford Tigers defeating Hull FC and an inferior points difference, it will be difficult for Trinity to dig themselves out of trouble - as they have on so many occasions in their 24-year stay in the top tier.

For all that, they showed spirit and heart to keep fighting despite the fact they knew the odds were stacked against them. However, they failed to execute their chances and take advantage of a number of drop-outs until Tanginoa powered over and Kershaw intercepted for his try.

After successive losses in a tight race for top spot and a home semi-final in the play-offs, this was a big win for Catalans to reignite their form.

Steve McNamara's side were bolstered by the returning Johnstone, who brilliantly tracked a kick out wide for the opener, and their precision attack released Keighran to wrong-foot a sliding defence.

Another testing kick got Davies in out wide, which gave the Dragons a buffer, one that proved key after the home side's late fightback.

Arthur Mourgue limped off for them, while Trinity prop David Fifita was withdrawn with dizziness.

Wakefield head coach Mark Applegarth:

"We've got two games where we need Cas to slip up and make sure we're winners. We will dust ourselves off and get ready for Leigh. We will be fighting right to the death.

"It feels like groundhog day - we put in the effort and application again and it's hard as a coach to knock anyone for that, but when you boil it down it comes down to those crucial moments and fine margins," he said.

"It's the toughest part of us at the moment. You know you shouldn't be putting in that amount of effort and coming away with a loss. They are not getting their rewards for their efforts.

"I have no doubt that team on Friday night will be going out and giving everything, throwing the kitchen sink to get the result. It's a horrible situation going out there knowing our destiny is not in our hands, but we will be going out and ripping into it."

Catalans head coach Steve McNamara:

"This is the start for us, building into the play-offs with the momentum this away victory gives us.

"There's a lot this playing group have gone through and the response was good tonight. It wasn't a complete performance, but I thought we dominated the game and the last five minutes tipped the scoreboard.

"Should we have scored more points? Absolutely, but I think you under-estimate coming here against a team that is so desperate. It was a really hard night to come here and get the win in the circumstances."

Wakefield: Jowitt; Senior, Griffin, Croft, Kershaw; Lino, Gale; Atoni, Hood, Battye, Proctor, Ashurst, Pitts.

Interchanges: Kay, Fifita, Tanginoa, Eseh.

Sin-bin: Eseh (26).

Catalans: Mourgue; Davies, Keighran, Romano, Johnstone; Tomkins, Pearce; McMeeken, McIlorum, Navarrete, Seguier, Whitley, Garcia.

Interchanges: Bousquet, Da Costa, Chan, Ma'u.

Referee: Aaron Moore.

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