When Catalans Dragons came agonizingly close to securing their first Super League title at Old Trafford last October, few rugby league fans anticipated they would be challenging their conquerors Wigan this season. The French team was undergoing significant changes, with a series of retirements and exits forcing coach Steve McNamara to overhaul the squad. Yet just three weeks ago, the Dragons were breathing down Wigan’s neck at the top of the standings. Now, following surprising losses to Castleford and London Broncos, their future performance is a mystery – even to McNamara.
The ex-England manager was infuriated after his team’s 12-10 setback against London on Sunday, labeling their display as “terrible” and “unacceptable.” Was he taken aback? “100%, I never saw that coming. We were a million miles off.”
With seven matches remaining, the Dragons have slipped to sixth in the Super League standings. They are comfortably seated in the final playoff position – with no one below them likely to close the four-point gap – but they trail the top two sides by six points, meaning a home semi-final is out of reach. Their revised goal is to end the season in fourth place and commence the playoffs in Perpignan.
Even McNamara is unsure which version of his team will appear. “You think you’ve made progress and then you haven’t, then you have, then you haven’t,” he reflected after the match in Wimbledon. “We’ve consistently performed well over the past four seasons, and right now we’re very inconsistent. This was a problem we had resolved a while ago but it has crept back into our game.”
McNamara’s half-back challenges persisted during the defeat against the Broncos. The release of Jayden Nikorima and the comeback of Sam Tomkins after a nine-month break from the game meant a combination of Arthur Mourgue and Théo Fages, with Tomkins playing full-back and César Rougé on the bench. However, despite who held the ball, their passing was alarmingly off-target. “We were really poor, lacking urgency, and that’s a responsibility for everyone,” stated McNamara. Frustrated, he even stepped onto the pitch late in the second half to discuss tactics with Tomkins, but to no avail.
Catalans were unable to keep pace with the Broncos in Wimbledon on Sunday. Photograph: Zac Goodwin/PA
Tomkins is a veteran player bridging generations. He serves as his manager’s on-field voice after joining the coaching staff this winter. However, at 35, he understandably lacks the dynamic flair of his earlier years.
Instead, he relies on his exceptional spatial awareness and knack for finding gaps, rather than the explosive speed he showcased during the first 15 years of his career. His defensive acumen remains sharp; when confronted with three advancing Broncos players with only the touchline for support, he managed to create enough uncertainty in Josh Rourke’s mind to halt the Broncos’ full-back, and later thwarted Sadiq Adebiyi at the try line. His relationship with the referees also remains unchanged with age; he was seen remonstrating with the referee all the way to the tunnel post-match, while McNamara and his shocked assistant Thomas Bosc remained on a wall, deep in thought.
The Dragons played as if they had made a long, uncomfortable journey from the Pyrenees. In actuality, they had flown to London on Saturday and are currently residing in luxurious four-star accommodations. It’s no wonder the owner, Bernard Guasch, was incensed. Having invested heavily from his meat business profits to support the Dragons over the past two decades, Guasch expressed he had “never felt so ashamed in 25 years of presidency.”
Alongside Tomkins’ waning prowess, the 36-year-old Michael McIlorum is no longer at his vibrant best, and they are still missing injured players Tom Johnstone and Mike McMeeken, both of whom will join Wakefield next season. Several key players will exit the club this autumn, while a lineup of notable recruits will arrive; the Dragons’ roster at the start of next season will bear little resemblance to the unit that came so close to glory last year. New acquisitions Jarrod Wallace and Reimis Smith (set to join from Melbourne on Saturday) should add much-needed strength to the pack, as they need to contribute the impactful runs currently absent.
McNamara now focuses on the upcoming match against Huddersfield on Friday night. “It’s evident what’s feasible with this group, given the performances we’ve shown against some top teams this season, but what we haven’t done is clean up some of the other matches. In our last two away games, we came up short at Castleford and London. To have a shot at competing on the grand stage, you need to handle these games. We’ll see what Friday has in store.”
McNamara has established himself as one of the game’s premier coaches. Now, he faces a significant test again. Leading the Dragons into the top six, let alone to a third Grand Final, could be his most significant accomplishment thus far.
Clubcall: London Broncos
While the London Broncos’ coach, Mike Eccles, is glad his team has secured their second win of the season, he still feels frustrated. Uncertainty over potential parachute payments has left them unable to strategize for the next season in the Championship. “How can we?” an exasperated Eccles asked. “We don’t even know how many teams will be relegated.”
Despite this uncertainty, Eccles praised his players for their resilience. “We’re all in this situation together and we’re committing to see it through to the end. They could merely give up and coast until the season ends, or we can strive to enjoy it, produce strong performances, and maintain our integrity. Their commitment to each other is truly remarkable.”
Foreign quota
The unpredictable London winger Hakim Miloudi – one of the few French internationals who has never played for Catalans Dragons or Toulouse Olympique – was understandably elated on Sunday. “Being from Perpignan, it’s a significant event,” he shared. “Every time it’s special to compete against them, and we want to prove ourselves. It felt like a fierce battle. They never quit, and we didn’t either. It was wild.”
Goal line drop out
Following the announcement that the 2026 World Cup will take place in Australia and Papua New Guinea, the IRL has revealed that Kenya, South Africa, Papua New Guinea, and the U.S. are among the bidders for the next three standalone tournaments. It seems likely that France will host the 2028 Women’s World Cup, England will welcome the wheelchair tournament in 2029, and New Zealand will host the men’s tournament in 2030. The Las Vegas initiative could elevate the U.S. into contention, but they may need to wait a bit longer for their first Rugby League World Cup.
Fifth and last
With no trains operating to Haydons Road on Sunday, I took the tube to the London vs. Broncos match. It was a reflective trip that underscored the logistical challenges facing rugby league fans in London. In the mid-1990s, I experienced that twentysomething phase of moving to London and changing locations each year. I relocated near Copthall Stadium shortly after the Broncos departed and never caught up with them. After moving westward, I began attending games at The Stoop, only for them to return to Charlton, resulting in a taxing 80-minute trek across the city. At one point, I lived in sight of the old Plough Lane floodlights. Nowadays, that would offer me a mere 15-minute stroll alongside the River Wandle to Super League matches, a journey I made on Sunday. If only attending league games in London were always that straightforward.
Follow No Helmets Required on X and Facebook
