Catalans’ pent-up energy sweeps aside Leeds to keep Grand Final in sight

Catalans Dragons are one win away from their first Super League Grand Final after vanquishing a valiant Leeds side to set up a play-off semi-final with St Helens next weekend.

Limited to only a dozen league games this season owing to various problems, many concerning Covid-19, Catalans’ freshness was evident against a Leeds side who have had a much tougher schedule leading into the play-offs.

Having played once in the past five weeks, it was Catalans who showed the greater purpose and intensity and led after 90 seconds, when a magnificent break from Sam Tomkins was ably supported by Tom Davies. Five minutes later, Tomkins’ deft kick was touched down by Samisoni Langi.

With James Maloney converting both to make it 12-0, Leeds were in danger of being cut adrift. Injuries to the props Ava Seumanufagai and Mikolaj Oledzki did not help their cause and when Tomkins kicked again, this time for Israel Folau to superbly finish, the game felt as though it was slipping out of their reach.

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Leeds battled valiantly after falling 18-0 behind and three minutes before half-time a smart move was finished by Alex Sutcliffe. It gave Leeds a glimmer of hope but they needed to score first after the interval to stand any chance.

How their hopes must have been roused, therefore, when Liam Sutcliffe crossed shortly after the restart, though Rhyse Martin was off-target with the conversion to leave Leeds eight behind. Leeds were then perhaps unfortunate not to be playing against 12 men when an ugly challenge from Michael McIlorum on Brad Dwyer went unpunished.

Catalans benefitted from a moment of madness from Robert Lui, who hurled a pass into the hands of David Mead, giving him a free run to the line and allowing Maloney to convert to open up a three-score lead again. Konrad Hurrell’s try raised hopes of a late Leeds comeback, before a penalty from Maloney in the final minutes put the result beyond doubt.

Catalans S Tomkins; Davies, Langi, Folau, Mead; Maloney, Drinkwater; Casty, McIlorum, Bousquet, Whitley, J Tomkins, Garcia. Interchange Moa, Seguier, Baitieri, Kasiano. Tries Davies, Langi, Folau, Mead Cons Maloney 5

Leeds Myler; Briscoe, Hurrell, L Sutcliffe, Handley; Lui, Gale; Seumanufagai, Leeming, Oledzki, Thompson, Martin, Prior. Interchange Dwyer, Donaldson, Smith, A Sutcliffe. Tries A Sutcliffe, L Sutcliffe, Hurrell Con Martin Referee C Kendall.