Leeds Rhinos achieved their first victory in Perpignan since the 2022 play-offs, defeating Catalans Dragons 28-6. The match, held at Stade Gilbert Brutus, saw Brodie Croft score a hat-trick, marking his second of the season. This win extends the Rhinos’ lead at the top of the Super League table.
The Rhinos quickly established control after an initial bright start from the Dragons. Harry Newman scored the opening try in the eighth minute, followed by Jake Connor’s conversion, putting the visitors ahead. Croft’s first try came after a Dragons error, with Lachie Miller also crossing the try line in the first half.
The first half concluded with Leeds leading 16-0. Despite some early pressure from the home side, Leeds managed to settle into the game, with Newman’s try ending a three-year wait for Leeds points at Stade Gilbert Brutus. The Dragons had opportunities but failed to convert them into points.
Rhinos maintain dominance
The second half saw continued intensity, with both teams clashing early on. However, the Rhinos maintained their scoring momentum. Croft secured his second try around the hour mark, following a play alongside Miller. Later, a mistake from Matthieu Laguerre led to Jarrod O’Connor setting up Croft for his hat-trick try.
Connor converted Croft’s third try, bringing the score to 28-0 with approximately 10 minutes remaining. The Dragons managed a consolation effort in the final minute through Ugo Tison, but it was not enough to alter the outcome.
This victory marks Kallum Watkins’ 300th game for the club, a significant milestone for the captain. Other players also reached career milestones, including Danny Levi (200 games), Jake Connor (300 games), and Tom Holroyd (100 games).
The Rhinos’ win moves them four points clear of Wigan Warriors at the top of the table, having secured 15 wins from this season.
In other Super League action, Wakefield Trinity handed Hull KR their first home defeat in a year with a 20-6 victory at Craven Park. Caius Faatili scored two second-half tries for Trinity. The scores were level at 6-6 at halftime, but Wakefield proved to be the more threatening side, with Harvey Smith scoring their only first-half try.
Both sides saw players sin-binned during the match, with Peta Hiku of Rovers and Ky Rodwell of Trinity receiving yellow cards. Wakefield’s control solidified as Faatili scored twice within six minutes, with Tyson Smoothy’s conversions and a penalty establishing a commanding lead. Wakefield held on for their third consecutive win against the Robins.
Leopards keep play-off hopes alive
Leigh Leopards secured a 24-18 win over Castleford Tigers, keeping their Betfred Super League play-off hopes alive. The Leopards, who have now won nine of their last 11 outings, were twice challenged by the Tigers after initially building 12-point leads at the Progress With Unity Stadium.
David Armstrong was a key player for Leigh, creating the first try for Lachlan Lam and scoring two tries himself. Umyla Hanley also contributed to the scoreboard, and Adam Cook successfully converted all four tries. Castleford had two tries disallowed, one for grounding an arm in touch and another for obstruction.
Castleford responded well to level the scores before the interval, with Sam Hall touching down from a Daejarn Asi kick. However, Leigh restored their lead after the restart when Lam’s grubber kick allowed Hanley to pounce. Lam was also instrumental in setting up Armstrong’s second try.
Despite Senior being sin-binned for a tackle on Armstrong, Castleford continued to fight. Laulu-Togaga’e scored five minutes from time, but Leigh held off the late pressure to claim the two points. The Rhinos’ win in Perpignan marks a significant achievement for the club.
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Source: skysports.com
Dominic Hayes is the Sports News Writer at NewsGB, covering rugby union, golf and boxing with five years of reporting experience. He started on a north-east sports desk. He holds a degree in Journalism from Teesside University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Middlesbrough, he follows pro golf and amateur boxing. “Fast and accurate is the only standard worth keeping.”
