Sat 29 May: SL: Catalans Dragons v Wigan Warriors KO 18:00 (TV)

[John Drake]

Discuss Catalans Dragons v Wigan Warriors here.

[Davo5]

We’ve been edging out poor teams,Catalans away is a step up and will give us a better idea of where this team is going.

[WN83]

I hope the players step it up in this game as they did last season. We can debate if our 7 wins from 7 and 1st position in the league is warranted or simply masking bigger issues but one thing is for certain, we won't win this particular game without going up a couple of gears from the last three performances. Catalans have been really impressive recently and they have the power in the middle and class on the end of that to give us a pretty torrid night if we're not right on it. 

The team news will be very important. We really could do with Gildart, Leuluai, Isa and Smithies back in, to offset the huge loss of French and let us get players in their natural postions and Catalans will be hoping Sam Tomkins pulls through. 

[Exiled Wiganer]

If we play as well as we did against Cas, we should be fine. We are very hard to score a lot of points against, and have enough quality to score 20 points. Every game has been uncannily the same, but no one has got away from us in the league, and I can’t see that changing on Saturday. 

[Manfred Mann]

If Catalans has Sam Tomkins on the pitch, and future French international star Arthur Mourgue on the bench, then Catalans has a good chance of winning this one.

Because Alrix da Costa is injured, Mourgue will replace Micky Mack when the latter is rested, and Catalans can cut holes in Wigan’s defence up the middle.

[GeordieSaint]

Big game this. Wigan top of the league but way off their best. Catalan impressive last week against Saints and previously at Hull. If Catalan can back up three in a row...

[Manfred Mann]

5 hours ago, GeordieSaint said:

Big game this. Wigan top of the league but way off their best. Catalan impressive last week against Saints and previously at Hull. If Catalan can back up three in a row...

If Catalans can beat Wigan then they are top of the table and looking forward with confidence to a place at Old Trafford.

[Jim Prendle]

5 hours ago, Manfred Mann said:

If Catalans can beat Wigan then they are top of the table and looking forward with confidence to a place at Old Trafford.

Considering how flakey Catalans have been for 95% of their history, that's a very bold statement.

They could quite easily beat Wigan at the weekend and then lose their next 6 games.

[Chronicler of Chiswick]

Wigan by 4.

[audois]

Wigan have a special link with the Catalans from their very first SL game in 2006 at Gilbert Brutus. 14 players have played for both sides. The Dragons played on the road here several times , twice in Montpellier and of course the unforgetable game in Barcelona which established a competion record of more than 31,000.

[Allora]

James Maloney to put in another good shift and get Catalans a win.

[Exiled Wiganer]

3 hours ago, audois said:

Wigan have a special link with the Catalans from their very first SL game in 2006 at Gilbert Brutus. 14 players have played for both sides. The Dragons played on the road here several times , twice in Montpellier and of course the unforgetable game in Barcelona which established a competion record of more than 31,000.

We have often been good guests, allowing the Cats to sell lots of tickets and then rolling over in the match itself. I suspect this year we will be very competitive indeed. 

[Manfred Mann]

8 hours ago, Jim Prendle said:

Considering how flakey Catalans have been for 95% of their history, that's a very bold statement.

They could quite easily beat Wigan at the weekend and then lose their next 6 games.

James, you need to understand that  the time frame for considering the form of Catalans, or any other team, is not the entirety of their history, but this particular season. And in this particular season Catalans have not been flakey. Except for their performance against Warrington — when Craig Bellamy coached and Melbourne Storm experienced Englishman Gareth Widdop was successful in targeting and neutralizing Catalans’ attacking ace Sam Tomkins — the Catalans team has been consistently strong and resolute. 

Edited May 26, 2021 by Manfred Mann

[Barley Mow]

Wigan by 6.

[Jim Prendle]

5 hours ago, Manfred Mann said:

James, you need to understand that  the time frame for considering the form of Catalans, or any other team, is not the entirety of their history, but this particular season. And in this particular season Catalans have not been flakey. Except for their performance against Warrington — when Craig Bellamy coached and Melbourne Storm experienced Englishman Gareth Widdop was successful in targeting and neutralizing Catalans’ attacking ace Sam Tomkins — the Catalans team has been consistently strong and resolute. 

So they’ve not been flakey, but they have been flakey. Please try to make your mind up.

I will ignore your obvious attempt at trolling.

[Manfred Mann]

7 minutes ago, Jim Prendle said:

So they’ve not been flakey, but they have been flakey. Please try to make your mind up.

I will ignore your obvious attempt at trolling.

I have made my mind up. You just don’t understand what I have written. That is a product of your personal challenges, not of any non-existent attempt at trolling by me.

Edited May 26, 2021 by Manfred Mann

[Jim Prendle]

14 minutes ago, Manfred Mann said:

I have made my mind up. You just don’t understand what I have written. That is a product of your personal challenges, not of any non-existent attempt at trolling by me.

OK, if you say so.

 

[Mr Frisky]

Cats by 8 - Tomkins star man once again

[barnyia]

It's going to be a bit warm in perpignan on Saturday. Sunshine and 31 degrees forecast. 

[overtheborder]

A really tough one for both sides - I'd be really interested to see what both teams are made of, especially after Cats' win against Saints.

[Out on the full]

This match has just snuck in before the French ban us from visiting them without quarantine. I imagine Wigan will win. 

[The Daddy]

Cesar Rouge and Corentin Le Cam are in the 21 man squad for the game 

[Cumbrian Mackem]

2 hours ago, The Daddy said:

Cesar Rouge and Corentin Le Cam are in the 21 man squad for the game 

I get the feeling that Le cam could go either one of two ways playing 1st team rugby. He could be an absolute revelation or get found out very quickly and easily bullied.

Hope his off-loading game carries into the super league along with the kicking to his side aerial threat.

[Cumbrian Mackem]

3 hours ago, The Daddy said:

Cesar Rouge and Corentin Le Cam are in the 21 man squad for the game 

I’d like to see what dezaira can do in an extended run of games. He’s an absolute handful in elite1.

[Futtocks]

On 27/05/2021 at 07:39, barnyia said:

It's going to be a bit warm in perpignan on Saturday. Sunshine and 31 degrees forecast. 

A bit windy too, according to commentary, so kicking will be more important than usual.