Leaders of the Pack

The League Leaders' Shield race has seen some drama in its time. It has gone down to the final game of the season on several occasions, and in 2015, was won as the final siren of the regular season sounded in the background. This year, Catalans became the 8th different side to claim the shield. It may not have been a final day decider but it was equally as dramatic.

If you are reading this post, then you probably do not need reminding of how it was won. I'm going to do it anyway though. On Saturday, at the Magic Weekend, Catalans played St Helens. First vs second. If Catalans won, the minor premiership would be wrapped up. If St Helens won, the race would continue to the last two weeks..

St Helens played very well and held a comfortable lead, by 30-12 with just over four minutes to go. Incredibly, Dean Whare, Gil Dudson and Sam Kasiano scored three tries, all converted, in those final four minutes to tie the game. I am not sure even Catalans thought this possible. James Maloney seemed in little rush to convert the first try! After a hectic golden point, Maloney secured the win, and the shield, with a long-range drop goal.

Catalans have lost just two games from 21 this Super League season. With one eye on the play offs, that figure may increase, it often does when the shield is won with games to spare. Even if that does happen, it takes nothing away from an incredible achievement.

Moulding a Winning Culture

Catalans are a club that remains in its adolescence. It has taken time to mould. Catalans recruitment model has moved away from reliance of expensive Australian players (who often flopped). Now, they combine a sprinkling of antipodean talent with some top quality British players and French internationals. It is a model that is starting to work.

A criticism of Catalans often relates to the lack of French players. Indeed, only five French players were in Catalans 17-man squad that won Saturday's thriller. It is not churlish to suggest that a longer term aim would be to bring more local boys into the first team.

The contrary view could also be taken. The likes of injured captain Benjamin Garcia, Jason Baitieri, Alrix Da Costa, Benjamin Jullien, Paul Seguier and Matthieu Laguerre have all played key roles in Catalans 2021 success, despite not playing on Saturday. Meanwhile, Arthur Romano, Corentin Le Cam, Mathieu Cozza, Joe Chan, Cesar Rouge and Romain Franco have all been given their opportunities in 2021 (and we can expect to see more of them in 2022 and beyond).

Going All the Way?

We have had seven different teams top the Super League in the last nine years, yet only three current Super League sides have ever won the 'main' prize. Something has always stopped an unexpected table-topping side from going all the way. That is the nature of having an entire season's outcome turn on one game.

Would it be unkind to suggest that topping the table may not be a priority for the sides that exclusively have picked up the biggest prize at Old Trafford to date? Do other sides such as Catalans, Castleford and Huddersfield (all of whom have finished top at the end of the regular season in recent times) value this trophy more and have a greater determination to win it? I'm not sure. Is it even right that we determine the league champions not over the course of a season, but on one night and that the league table is merely a long-winded way of formulating a starting grid? You may gather where I stand on such a point by the wording of that final question!

Whatever the reason, league leadership does not guarantee the championship. In fact, since 2011, only three sides who finished first on that starting grid won the Grand Final. Four sides out of 10 did not even make it there. Catalans will be aware of these statistics and will know that their job in 2021 is far from done. In some ways, it has not even begun.

Made of Sterner Stuff

For years, I have seen Catalans as a soft touch. When things get tough, Catalans can't hack it. Since 2020, that has been different. A year on the road in 2020 meant that Catalans had to improve their away form or face disaster. They did the former and achieved a respectable fourth placed finish. This continued in 2021 with a first placed finish and only one away defeat (that coming at St Helens, when they were beset by injuries) all season.

Saturday is another example. The Catalans of old would not have come back from an 18 point deficit with just minutes remaining to win the game. If anything, the old Catalans may have capitulated to a 40 or 50 point loss. The new Catalans did not know when they were beaten. The Dragons are a different animal now.

Saying that, play off matches are a different beast too. It is very rare for a side to go two or more scores down and recover. Should they repeat this in a play off game, a miracle is unlikely to occur again.

Saturday's game taught St Helens a painful lesson. Switch off against this Catalans side at your peril. It also will have taught Catalans a lesson. If they allow St Helens to get a roll on, they can be difficult to stop. If these two sides meet again in the Grand Final (and they will be the favourites to get there), both sides will be even more wary of the other than before Saturday's encounter.

Champagne Moment

In 2017, when Castleford collected the League Leaders' Shield following a home victory over rivals Wakefield, they celebrated with the passion you love to see. Because this is rugby league and we are a strange sport at times, they were cruelly chided for this because topping the league supposedly 'means nothing' if you don't back it up in the play offs.

For a sport that is constantly trying to grow, saying that 25 weeks + of competitive action is meaningless doesn't strike me as an effective message to be putting out to the wider sporting public.

Anyway, because of this, when St Helens collected the same trophy in 2018, they did so with the forlorn expression of a small child who had just been told that their puppy had been run over by a bus. 

The pyrotechnics flew into the night sky. The confetti and streamers covered the pitch. A stark contrast to the statuesque St Helens figures who were holding aloft the shield, almost embarrassed by their success. It looked ridiculous. For what its worth, St Helens crashed out of the play offs that year too, putting to bed the ridiculous notion that there is a correlation between the vigour of League Leaders celebrations and prospects of success in the play offs.

The point is, when Catalans collect the trophy on Saturday night following their home match to Huddersfield, let's hope they look like they are enjoying it. They have achieved something that the club has never achieved before. It is a remarkable and fantastic achievement and should be treated as such.

Super League changed the design of the League Leaders' Shield in 2020, moving away from the 'hubcap' as it was disdainfully known. Somehow, the new incarnation of the Shield looks even worse. I could not go through this post without imploring the league to GET A PROPER TROPHY FOR THE LEAGUE LEADERS. I think the capitals, bold and underlined text were necessary there.

Battle Hardened

From the above paragraphs comes a more serious point. As demonstrated, topping the table is far from a guarantee of play off success. The superstitious may even deem it a poison chalice. So many teams have tried and come close to claiming the Super League championship but all bar four have failed.

The question is, why would Catalans be any different? Why will they break into winner's row? The argument that you would make relates to their personnel. Let's start with the coach. Steve McNamara was part of the Sydney Roosters coaching staff that won the NRL title in 2014. Scrum half James Maloney has won most honours in the sport. Players like Sam Tomkins, Tom Davies, Michael McIlorum, Gil Dudson and Joel Tomkins are all ex-Wigan players who know what it takes to successfully navigate a play off series. A large number of the current squad have also tasted Challenge Cup success at Wembley.

It is a side that has greater big game experience than the likes of Huddersfield in 2013, Castleford in 2017 and Salford in 2019. More importantly, it is a squad with experience of winning big games.

The next few weeks are arguably the biggest in Catalans' professional history. On Saturday, they will play their final home game of the season and collect silverware in front of their loyal supporters. On Thursday 30th September, they will play the biggest home game since their first ever Super League match in 2006, a home semi final with a place in the Grand Final on the line.

Catalans are the leaders of the Super League pack in 2021. There are several fine sides in the chasing pack. Can Catalans be the team to place a new name on that Super League trophy for the first time since 2004?