McNamara refusing to get travel sick
STEVE McNAMARA has lifted the lid on Catalans’ five-week travel plans but says their tough schedule will not be an excuse for the Dragons.
Super League’s Perpignan-based club, who face Wakefield in the Challenge Cup on Saturday, have been flying in and out of England on the day of matches.
Early-morning starts, chartered flights that allow quarantine exemptions, passport checks and meals on the bus and midnight arrivals back in France have been the order of the day.
When the Dragons trailed 14-0 against Castleford – having already been beaten 34-6 by St Helens in their first – questions were being asked about their ability to deal with the situation.
But McNamara’s side have since scored 98 unanswered points in sweeping aside first the Tigers then-Wakefield.
Coach McNamara said: “We know teams that come over to France talk about how the game knocks them about – and we have to do it five weeks in a row.
“But we knew that if we wanted to be in the competition then we’d got to do it. There are no complaints from us – we won’t use it as an excuse.
“But the financial side of it is extreme for our owner and we’re fortunate he’s able to support it.”
McNamara expects to face a different Wakefield side on Saturday from the one they brushed aside 58-0 last week.
He said: “Whatever could go wrong for them did. They had three players injured during the game.”
Catalans must decide by 11am today whether to appeal Sam Moa’s and Sam Tomkins’ suspensions from last Saturday.