MAGIC DRAGONS
Catalans shock hot favourites St Helens to reach Wembley
STEVE McNAMARA and Tony Gigot took their roads to redemption in Wembley’s direction after a stunning Catalans display blew away favourites St Helens.
Coach McNamara was dumped without fanfare by England despite winning the 2015 Test series against New Zealand, and faced questions over his future in France after a poor start to the season.
Full-back Gigot was banned when the campaign kicked-off before winning an appeal over his two-year suspension for an “inappropriate exchange” with an anti-doping official in 2016.
They were key figures in a remarkable Dragons performance that saw them lead Saints – who are 10 points clear at the Super League summit – 27-0 after a dominant firsthalf performance.
McNamara (right) has instilled discipline and direction into a team that has always had talent, but only preserved their top-flight status by winning a suddendeath game at Leigh last year.
He said: “We’ve come from the Million Pound Game last year to Wembley this.
“We’ve got an opportunity now because this club has still not won a trophy, the Challenge Cup or the Grand Final.
“Those tough times at the start of the season have put us in a better position to win a game like this. I hear a lot about other teams’ spirits and how great they are, but it’s easy when you’re winning every week. Try sitting there after winning just two games in 11 – that’s when you find out if it’s splintered.
“That’s what we were facing – but the players responded.”
Asked about man-of-thematch Gigot, he added: “He’s suffered badly over a period of time with one thing or another, but he’s changed his own mindset around and how he applies himself.”
Gigot (below right) scored one of four first-half tries along with Lewis Tierney (right) and two from Benjamin Garcia, with the Dragons scoring 12 crucial points with Morgan Knowles in the sin-bin for a high tackle. Saints improved after the break and touched down through Mark Percival twice and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, but Sam Moa’s response ensured Catalans were never in danger of losing.
Saints coach Justin Holbrook will refocus on trying to win the Grand Final and said: “I hadn’t been planning on having to pick them up so I don’t know how they’ll react. We’re a good side but we were poor today.”