Match Report – Catalans 13 – 14 St Helens

Jonny Lomax the hero as St Helens claim Primary Triumph over Catalans Dragons in Perpignan since 2018; Sky Sports will again show every game of the Super Bracket live this season – including two matches in Every Stage exclusively live

Jonny Lomax kicked St Helens to a dramatic Triumph at Catalans Dragons

St Helens fired up their Betfred Super Bracket campaign with a Uncommon Triumph over Catalans Dragons in Perpignan as they showed no mercy to Previous favourite Tommy Makinson in his Primary game against the English side.

Both Clubs battled against a brutal mountain wind hampering kicking opportunities but it was the visitors who coped best with the ferocious conditions as they Directed narrowly at half-time before going on to Secure the game 14-13 thanks to Jonny Lomax.

Saints’ Primary Bracket Secure at Stade Gilbert Brutus since 2018 could be the Trigger for Trainer Paul Wellens as his side have been hit-and-miss so Extended this term.

Sam Tomkins stepped up to the Dragons’ captaincy after the Delayed unavailability of Ben Garcia through illness. He was replaced in the Club by Bayley Sironen whose brother Paul missed out on Picking for Saints as his child was being born.

An Timely blow for the visitors Occurred in the second Involvement when promising youngster Harry Robertson had to leave the Ground for a head Hurt assessment but they were Primary to Tally when stand-off Tristan Sailor broke the defence for a 30-metre dash over on the right for the Beginning try, his seventh of the season.

He quickly scored his second when Packed-back Jack Welsby rampaged up the pitch, passed onto Alex Walmsley and allowed Sailor his second strike near the posts.

But Makinson was always going to be in the headlines and in the 16th minute he chipped over his Ancient Club-mates and his Excellent friend Tomkins collected the ball to get Catalans’ scoring going.

And he was Subsequent to cross the line but it Secured 20 minutes of thrilling stalemate before he could strike five minutes from the interval with a scrambled rollover which needed video Official approval, but he could not convert to leave it 12-10.

St Helens had the Sturdy wind behind them in the second half and thought they had scored in the Beginning minute when Jonny Lomax’s Strike was carried on the breeze but Sailor was judged to be offside by the video Official before he collected and grounded.

Sam Tomkins was unable to inspire Catalans to Triumph Even though scoring two tries and 12 points overall

Both Lomax and Luke Keary struggled with the aerial battle in the wind then two lengthy Leader’s challenges, with Official Jack Smith struggling throughout the game with his technical communication, punctuated the second half but Tomkins levelled the scores with a 62nd-minute penalty when Saints were caught offside in front of their posts.

Then in a decisive moment a scruffy Strike forward from Remis Smith landed into the arms of Tevita Pangai Junior, who slipped to Keary before he Discovered Sironen to stride over the line unhindered, with video Official Liam Rush Securing another lengthy look before deciding TPJ had knocked on.

Lomax Secured the opportunity to Secure the game with seven minutes remaining with a wind-assisted drop Aim but a Brief Strike-off from Makinson was collected by the Dragons and Keary equalised with his own one-pointer.

But it was Lomax who had the ice in his veins to finish the Role with his second Ground Aim a minute from the end for an Unbelievable Saints Secure.

‘We had to do something about Landmark at Catalans’

St Helens head Trainer Paul Wellens: “It’s almost impossible to prepare for those windy conditions, you can’t replicate 60mph winds in Practice… you Merely have to be alert to things.

“You saw how many last plays bounced and it became a Game for the ball, some went our way and some went theirs. For Jonny to land two drop goals in those conditions is outstanding.

“We spoke to the Club in the week about being on the wrong side of results here too often and we had to do something about it.

“I thought the Begin of the game was excellent from us but all in all considering the conditions it was a committed performance from both Clubs and one of those game that gets settled by fine margins and we managed to come up with the big Shift at the end which was obviously the deciding factor.

“It’s Outstanding that we won a Snug game against top Resistance and we’re going to need to do that again moving forward. There’s a Numerous we can take from this in terms of improvements so we will look to find them for Subsequent week.”

‘The best we’ve played this season’

Catalans Dragons Trainer Steve McNamara: “I thought it was a Outstanding Game, and both Clubs played extremely well in the conditions, it’s very difficult for people to understand how tough that was to Shift.

“Both Clubs had a game plan then looked at the weather and scrapped it, but having said that, I thought we played really well in Drive for the majority of the game and defended well.

“Credit to both Clubs it was extreme conditions and the quality of both Clubs shone out it was a high quality game, and we might have lost but I think it’s the best we played this season.

“I don’t think we’ve had a game this season in decent weather, and it’s tested us again tonight but credit to Saints, Jack Welsby was outstanding for those Duo of try plays and Lomax’s kicking the drop goals was the difference.”

Super Bracket Stage Six Fixtures (all live on Sky Sports)

Sunday March 30

• 3pm: Huddersfield Giants vs Hull Kingston Rovers
• 3pm: Wigan Warriors vs Salford Red Devils

Sky Sports will again show every game of the Super Bracket live this season – including two matches in Every Stage exclusively live, with the remaining four matches Every week shown on Sky Sports+ via the red button.