CATALANS DRAGONS SEASON REVIEW: A Season Like No Other

BY SAM HARRIS | @sam_harris96

For all the Super League, 2020 has been a strange old season with matches played behind closed doors and a multitude of games being postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

But for Catalans Dragons they arguably had to make an even bigger sacrifice than the other sides as they had to play the majority of games across the Channel.

This was especially pertinent due to their well-documented struggles away from the Stade Gilbert Brutus, winning just five matches in England in 2019.

However if they could have picked a year to buck the trend it would be this one where all but five of their matches were played away from Perpignan.

Ironically, their season started off in the worst possible fashion when they lost at home to Huddersfield on the opening day but they showed their credentials by winning six of their following seven matches including thrashings of Castleford and Wakefield.

The signing of James Maloney added a much needed controlling half-back with his State of Origin and NRL Premiership experience coming to the fore with his game-management and kicking ability helping Les Dracs edge tight affairs.

With Maloney complemented by halves partner Josh Drinkwater, who has found a home at the Dragons after disappointing spells at Leigh and Hull KR with Sam Tomkins offering a further threat from fullback, both recording 14 try assists in 2020.

Scoring points was not a problem for Steve McNamara’s men, averaging 29 points in their 13 matches with former Wigan winger Tom Davies topping the try-scoring charts with 12 and Fouad Yaha and Samisoni Langi grabbing nine and seven respectively.

Credit has to go to their pack which, as one of the biggest in Super League with the likes of Sam Moa, Matt Whitley and Benjamin Garcia backed up by a bench containing Sam Kasiano, Jason Baitieri and Mikael Simon helped set the platform for the likes of Maloney and Tomkins.

On the pitch they impressed but off the pitch they were not without their troubles, with matches against Leeds, Wigan and Warrington all either cancelled or postponed due to positive cases within the Dragons camp.

Players were also forced to drive two-and-hours to Toulouse in order to make a flight to Warrington in September after their initial flight from Perpignan was diverted and despite arriving two hours before kick-off, put up a good showing in defeat.

Chairman Bernard Guasch put his hand in his pocket and paid for his side’s charter flights to England throughout the campaign, a fine gesture that allowed Super League to continue.

Despite ill-discipline letting them down in the biggest matches with Michael McIlorum and Joel Tomkins missing their semi-final with St Helens after being banned retrospectively for incidents in the previous game against Leeds, and St Helens taking advantage of some costly yellow cards as they put the Dragons to the sword, McNamara can be proud of his side’s efforts during a challenging season.

In reaching their first semi-final since 2014, Catalans have possibly finally realised their potential but with this unusual campaign being shortened, with the Dragons only playing 13 matches, the challenge in 2021 will be to ensure their performances stretch over a 29-game season.

However all clubs in Super League should be grateful for the sacrifice the French side have made in keeping the competition running when it would have been easy to throw in the towel.