Catalans Dragons opened up a four-point lead at the Super League summit courtesy of victory at St Helens on a night that came at a cost for the reigning champions.
As well as defeat to the French side in an enthralling contest, Paul Wellens’s team were left to rue a bruising evening on the field after their talismanic captain, James Roby, and the centre Mark Percival were ruled out of next week’s Challenge Cup semi-final against Leigh, with both failing head-injury assessments.
Roby and Percival will now be subject to mandatory 11-day stand-downs. If Saints do not make the final in their absence then Roby, the club’s all-time record appearance holder who will retire at the end of the season, will have played his final Challenge Cup game. Consequently, this was a night with far greater ramifications than a defeat that left St Helens’ own playoff hopes in the balance.
“It’s tough to take but that’s how it is,” Wellens said. “It was frustrating but the players were fantastic. I’m really proud of them.”
His side played their part in an entertaining clash between two teams few would begrudge meeting again in the playoffs. Two points split them at half-time, with Tom Johnstone’s long-range try cancelled out by Percival’s effort for St Helens. An early penalty from Adam Keighran ultimately gave Catalans an 8-6 lead at the break.
But the second half did not go as planned for St Helens. They fell further behind courtesy of Matt Ikuvalu’s try before Roby and Percival succumbed to head injuries. News then filtered through that both had failed their assessments, ruling them out of this contest and next weekend’s game against Leigh.
“It could have gone either way, but it was a very semi-final-style game,” the Catalans coach, Steve McNamara, reflected after an absorbing contest.
St Helens narrowed the gap to two points in the dying moments courtesy of a Lewis Dodd try and a Joey Lussick goal, and they even had chances to snatch it in the final seconds. Catalans, however, held firm to close out victory.
