CATALANS DRAGONS face an uphill climb at the end of Super League 2025 with six out of eight of their final fixtures away from home.
But coach Steve McNamara says he is relishing the challenge.
The competition’s only overseas club is already preparing detailed logistics to cope with a series of double-away games throughout next season.
McNamara explained: “I think every club would like to be home and away, home and away and blocks of away games are particularly difficult for us to manage with travel and accommodation to organise. But all clubs have their own unique requests from the fixture planners and we realise how difficult the process is.
“Three teams share grounds with football clubs so there are restrictions there and you have to accept what you’re given.
“You can’t please everyone and it’s fair to say that at this stage every year nobody’s happy, but we all take it on the chin, and say ‘it is what it is’ so let’s go.
“Six out of our last eight games are away from home but there’s no point moaning, we see it as a challenge and we make plans for segments of the season and treat each and every one with individual attention.
“When the fixtures don’t look that good it motivates you as a challenge and you attack it with more intent.”
McNamara oversaw week three of pre-season training last week with the Dragons taking training on the road in and around Perpignan.
McNamara added: “We’ve been using facilities near Canet and we’re going to be floating around a little, back to our reserves ground at St Esteve for a couple of days and elsewhere, so we’ve got plenty to work with.
“Every coach will say the same at this stage; all the players are working hard and I can’t fault the attitude and the condition that the players have turned up with.
“We’ve got a lot of new players and staff and there are so many new things that we are doing, it’s really refreshing.
“Everyone has brought enthusiasm and it’s not like the old days where players might return from holiday a little out of shape.
“There’s a lot of personal professional pride and players are very competitive, they all want to be the quickest, strongest and healthiest they can be.”
As well as new arrivals Tevita Pangai Junior, Elliott Whitehead, Nick Cotric, Tommy Makinson and Oliver Partington, McNamara was pleased to see the return of a promising young French fullback.
He said, “It’s great to have Tanguy Zenon back. He’ll play with the reserves this weekend against Carcassonne; he’s an exciting young player who burst onto the scene and then got injured and was out for a year.
“It’s great to see him running out in the French Championship and we’ve got a few in the same situation with Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet, Yacine Ben Abdeslem and Ben Lam.
“We are different to other clubs in that respect with having that winter competition and we’ll take every advantage of the situation.”
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