Catalan Dragons are dancing in the rain as they take the points at the jungle in the Betfred Super League
- Super League Raw
- Mar 22
- 6 min read
Castleford Tigers 4 - 26 Catalan Dragons
The heavens opened at the Jungle, yet the Dragons remained undeterred, securing their third consecutive victory against a Tigers team that struggled to challenge the more dominant Dragons pack. Throughout the match, the Catalan forwards amassed a total of 195 metres more than their opponents, complemented by 21 tackle busts compared to the Tigers 12. Despite the signing of Brad Singleton, the Tigers appeared to be lacking in strength in their forward pack, a sentiment acknowledged by Danny McGuire at full time. The Dragons effectively leveraged their strengths throughout the match and were fully deserving of the crucial two points earned.
Let's relive this very wet and soggy game.
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The Coaches Post Match Reaction
Danny McGuire
We probably need one or two more (Signings). We've got a few injuries as well. Recruitment is ongoing, but we may need to look at adding a bit in this next week or two. If not, the boys who played today will be ready to go on Thursday. Jeremiah Simbiken went off early, which didn't help. I was really looking forward to his combination with Rowan (Milnes), and then he went off early with a hamstring. That didn't get going. Hopefully Joe Westerman will be back. I made a call not to play him. He had only trained this week. Maybe that wasn't the right call now—I should have played him."
Steve McNamara
"We had to find some field position, find some points, and get in front on the scoreboard. That was going to make our day a lot easier, and thankfully it was us who managed to do that early in the game. I thought we controlled it. We trained with most of the pre-season with him and Luke Keary and Arthur Mourgue in the halves, so to have Sam back was great. Young Guillermo came in and had his first game in 12 weeks. He did well."
Social Media Reaction
Castleford Tigers
Same story again, forwards dominated and not disruptive enough, slow ruck speed, can't get a roll on to build pressure resulting in drives then a kick over and over. Sad to say but some players are out of their depth. Darren Holmes
Not Super League standard. We keep scraping through and staying up but I feel the last couple of years we belonged in the Championship. Perhaps we’d have seen some passion then to get back into SL. We certainly don’t belong here at the moment. Tough being a Cas fan lately. 😞Jayne Hookham
Very poor from our boys. Ok the weather was horrendous but catalan played by a mile better in it. We looked flat with no commitment. Our tackling was dire and no structure in attack. Oh yeah a little rant at the shocking parking today. Getting marshaled to the railway end to get squeezed in behind all the staff at the front. Dozens of paying fans stuck in our cars unable to move anywhere. From start to finish a total shambles today. Jerrard Boulton
How long til we get a real coach? Lingard did better last season. Steve Moore
Catalan Dragons
Very very good game of the whole team with forwards who advanced well and broke ties, the back line that had was very good. Very good performance from our Mr Tomkins who does a crazy job and orchestrated the match as well as Da Costa who played a very good match, Cotric, Partington huge since the beginning of the season, had to take the mayonnaise for the new recruits and these things done. Congratulations to the whole team, see you next week in our time a very big game awaits us against the Saints.
Tous a Brutus,Come on Dracs 🔥 🔴 🟡 🐉 Alex Dubuissez
Despite the pouring rain, a beautiful performance by the Dragons. Looks like it's getting better, keep it going!!! Muriel Lazaro
Thank you Catalans!
Great performance in difficult conditions. The power play worked well, creating a significant gap between the two teams in terms of contact meters. Nick Cotric and Sam Tomkins were fantastic from start to finish. Dean Eddyshaw
Does anyone want to fire mcnamara all of a sudden anymore??
Where are the people who wanted to fire him after 3 defeats?
Congratulations, Mr. Coach.
I always trust you myself. Xavier Gregory
The Final Word
Danny McGuire and the Castleford supporters are likely pleased with the Huddersfield Giants' disappointing start to the season, as their struggles have created an opportunity for Castleford to avoid the bottom of the table. While the Tigers possess notable talent in players such as Senior, Hoy, Wood, and promising newcomers like Simbiken and Rimbu, the squad currently lacks depth, particularly in the forwards, making them the least formidable pack in the league. An experienced coach would face significant challenges under these circumstances, and it is especially daunting for a rookie like McGuire.
Tigers fans are among the most loyal and passionate in the league; however, one must question whether they will sustain their faith if the current season continues on its present trajectory. Their next challenge is against Hull FC, who are currently riding a wave of success with a formidable lineup poised to challenge the Tigers on Thursday. It will be a considerable task for McGuire to match the 15 points achieved by his predecessor last year— an reality that has not gone unnoticed by the fans. We extend our best wishes to their supporters.
Currently, the calls for Steve McNamara's dismissal appear to be diminishing in the South of France, highlighting the fickle nature of supporters in top level sport. It was unrealistic to assume that the Dragons would not improve, given the considerable talent they possess. We found humour Dragons fans suggested, after just two rounds, that Pangai Jr. should return to Australia. How misguided those sentiments now seem, as he delivered a stellar performance at the Jungle, particularly in the first half, culminating in a remarkable try. Anticipation builds for the thrilling encounter scheduled in round 13, where Pangai Jr. will face off against Herman Ese'Ese.
Many might have suggested that the Dragons would struggle under the prevailing conditions; however, they demonstrated remarkable determination and tactical acumen to secure a victory. It is widely recognised that the Catalan team excels as summer approaches, and they remain confident in their status as genuine playoff contenders and potential Challenge Cup champions. With a forward depth that is among the best in the league, the crucial question is whether their creative players can stay injury-free and perform at their best. If they do, the future could hold great promise for them.
The Gladiators who took the Field
Castleford Tigers
1 Tex Hoy
24 Josh Simm
3 Zac Cini
4 Sam Wood
5 Innes Senior
6 Daejarn Asi
7 Rowan Milnes
38 Brad Singleton (D)
16 Cain Robb
10 George Lawler
11 Jeremiah Simbiken
12 Alex Mellor
9 Liam Horne
Subs (all used)
14 Judah Rimbu
15 George Griffin
20 Muizz Mustapha
21 Sylvester Namo
Try Scorers: I Senior (68)
Tale of the Boot: Milnes 0/1
Catalan Dragons
1 Sam Tomkins
22 Fouad Yaha
23 Matthieu Laguerre
4 Reimis Smith
5 Nick Cotric
6 Luke Keary
26 Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet
8 Tevita Pangai Jr
14 Alrix Da Costa
10 Julian Bousquet
9 Ben Garcia
12 Elliott Whitehead
13 Oliver Partington
Interchange
3 Arthur Romano
15 Tevita Satae
16 Romain Navarrete
20 Jordan Dezaria
Try Scorers: Pangai Jr (18), Da Costa (22), Yaha (47), Tomkins (60)
Tale of the Boot: Tomkins 5/6
Naughty Boy: Tomkins (80)
HOW IT WENT DOWN: 0-4, 0-10, 0-12, 0-14; 0-20, 0-26, 4-26
Man of the Match - The Super League Raw Trophy
3pts - Aidan Sezer
2pts - Herman Ese'Ese
1pt - John Asiata
Half-time: 0-14
Referee: Liam Rush
Attendance: 6,005
Key Performance Indicators:
Most Tackles –George Lawler - 43 - 100% Efficiency
Top Tackle Busts – Nick Cotric - 13
Most Carries – Daejarn Asi - 18
Most Metres - Nick Cotric - 210
Most Hard Metres - Pangai Jr - 112
Most Offloads - Brad Singleton - 2
Clean Breaks - Innes Senior & Tevita Pangai Jr - 2
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