Battling Catalans end Leeds' five-match winning run

Catalans completed a Super League double over Leeds Rhinos

Betfred Super League

Leeds (0) 8

Tries: Hall, Croft

Catalans (8) 16

Tries: Tison, Bousquet Goals: Aispuro-Bichet 4

Leeds Rhinos were denied a sixth successive Super League victory by Catalans Dragons in their penultimate game of the regular season.

Already guaranteed a play-off place, Leeds had not conceded any points in their previous two fixtures but trailed 8-0 at the interval.

Dragons hooker Ugo Tison evaded a tackler to score the opening try from close range, with Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet converting and then adding penalties either side of half-time.

Reduced to 12 men for 10 minutes when prop Romain Navarrete was yellow-carded for a high tackle, Catalans' defiant defence was eventually breached when Ryan Hall gathered Brodie Croft's lofted kick to touch down in the corner.

Morgan Gannon came close to a second Leeds score but his darting run was halted just under the posts by Catalans' England international winger Tommy Makinson.

Shortly afterwards, the visitors reacted quickest to Luke Keary's drop-goal attempt coming back off the upright and Julian Bousquet touched down for the decisive try.

Croft's late effort could have set up a frantic finale, but Lachie Miller's failure to add the extra two points ended Leeds' hopes.

Leeds would have moved level on points with second-placed Wigan, the team they face in their final regular season fixture on 19 September, if they had beaten Catalans.

But Leeds' defeat means the Warriors will wrap up a top-two finish - earning them a week's break and a home semi-final - if they win one of their two remaining fixtures.

The Rhinos will be certain to finish in the top four if fifth-placed St Helens fail to beat fourth-placed Leigh on Friday, with such an outcome securing a home tie for Brad Arthur's team in the first week of the play-offs at the very least.

Catalans' top-six hopes were already over but they are ending the campaign on a positive note, with this their third win in four Super League outings.

Leeds head coach Brad Arthur told BBC Radio Leeds:

"It was frustrating. I think we've seen a couple of those performances this year. Our losses look the same - we've been in positions where we probably can win the game but we find ways to lose it.

"Tonight it just felt like a few guys tried a bit too hard. We got a lot of moments wrong, a lot of big plays wrong and a lot of the execution wrong.

"When you get frustrated like that, we've got to learn to relax and get back into a bit of a cycle, but we keep chasing and trying to force the issue. We've got to learn to be a bit more patient there."

Catalans head coach Joel Tomkins told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra:

"That's one of the bravest performances I've been involved with as a player or a coach.

"We were absolutely busted, we had players who played injured tonight. Bayley Sironen pulled his hamstring after 15 minutes.

"The way they turned up for each other - we had no right to win that game with the field position and possession that they had - I thought we were outstanding and I'm really proud of them."

Leeds: Miller; Hall, Newman, Simpson, Hankinson; Croft, Sinfield; Oledzki, O'Connor, Jenkins, Gannon, McDonnell, Palasia.

Interchanges: Watkins, Bentley, Lisone, Holroyd.

Catalans: Aispuro-Bichet; Makinson, Cotric, Smith, Yaha; Keary, Fages; Dezaria, Tison, Navarrete, Sims, Sironen, Garcia.

Interchanges: Bousquet, Satae, Seguier, Zenon.

Referee: Jack Smith.