A much-improved performance? Without question. But with a gap of eight points between the defending Super League champions, Leeds, and the top eight, points are now taking preference over performance for the Rhinos.
“This loss is going to make it difficult now,” admitted the Leeds coach, Brian McDermott, afterwards, making a fair case for understatement of the season so far in the process. Having won only three of their 17 games so far this season, Leeds would almost certainly have to win all of their final six fixtures before the Super 8s to even stand the faintest of hopes of making the eight.
And although that task is probably beyond them, there was at least some hope for what lies ahead in this performance. Leeds’ immediate challenge is avoiding the ignominy of going from champions to wooden-spooners within the space of a season, but they must also begin to focus building form for the Qualifiers, where they will thrown right into the mix in a battle to avoid the most unlikely of relegations.
Leeds fought hard for long stretches but their attacking inabilities would haunt them right until the final moments when, with the game still in the balance at 18-12, an errant pass from Joel Moon allowed Eloi Pelissier to race home and secure victory for Catalans.
“I rarely question their effort, but we were done by a bit of misfortune in conceding at the death,” McDermott said. “From where we’ve been as a team recently that was an improvement.”
This latest defeat for Leeds, their sixth in succession - a Super League record for the Rhinos - began in familiar fashion: with them taking the lead. For five games in a row they have scored first and did again here when Brett Ferres broke the deadlock, but the remainder of the first half was all Catalans.
They would lead 16-6 at the break thanks to tries from Justin Horo, Fouad Yaha and Jason Baitieri without really having to get out of first gear –which was perhaps no surprise given the talent sat on the sidelines for the Dragons. With Leeds’ frailties all too obvious the damage appeared done, and when Todd Carney kicked a routine penalty to make it 18-6, the Dragons were well on course to keep pace with Hull FC at the top of the table.
But Leeds would finally make some attacking pressure tell when Josh Walters crossed to set up a nervy finish, before Pelissier calmed French nerves with a fine interception to secure a crucial victory for Laurent Frayssinous’ side. “I’m very proud, especially with 12 Frenchmen in the 17,” Frayssinous said. “I think we made harder work of it than we should have but I’m delighted with the efforts of the players.”
Leeds Sutcliffe; Briscoe, Watkins, Moon, Handley; McGuire, Lilley; Galloway, Falloon, Garbutt, Delaney, Ferres, Jones-Buchanan. Interchange Keinhorst, Mullally, Walters, Hallas.
Tries Ferres, Walters. Goals Lilley 2.
Catalans Escare; Broughton, Gigot, Duport, Yaha; Carney, Albert; Mason, Pelissier, Casty, Stewart, Horo, Baitieri. Interchange Bosc, Maria, Bousquet, Navarrete.
Tries Horo, Yaha, Baitieri, Pelissier. Goals Carney 4.
Referee B Thaler. Attendance 14,016.
