JOHN CARTWRIGHT was disappointed and encouraged in equal measure by Catalans Dragons’ performance in Paris.
Catalans were beaten 40-16 by Wigan Warriors, conceding 18 of those points in a ten-minute period while Tevita Satae was in the sin bin for a professional foul.
That made it 30-6 at half-time, with the sides each scoring ten points in the second half.
Cartwright, leading the team for a second time since his appointment as coach, said: “We’re disappointed.
“I thought we showed enough in periods of the game where we more than competed against Wigan, but it was that ten minutes before half-time, wasn’t it?
“The sin bin happened and we just didn’t handle that period well at all.
“It’s not luck that you’re able to defend your tryline with twelve men, it’s practice and being a little bit more aware that it’s going to take a little bit more effort and being a bit smarter in how you manage the game and we just didn’t handle that period with twelve men at all.
“While the game got away from us there, in the second half we scored the early try and (Wigan’s Patrick Mago was sent to) the sin bin and I thought we took some wrong options with the ball then.
“I’ve only been here a few weeks but I thought we looked really dangerous with the ball. We looked sharp and we looked threatening.”