GIL HAS HAD HIS FILL OF DUD FINALS
GIL DUDSON is hungrier than ever for success after suffering a bellyful of agonising near misses.
Last October, the 31-year-old prop was left devastated when Catalan Dragons lost by two points to St Helens in the Grand Final.
The season before, Dudson had tasted an even narrower defeat in the Challenge Cup final with Salford, losing 17-16 to Leeds.
And the year before that, Dudson was part of the Red Devils team that lost the Grand Final to Saints.
It’s a hat-trick of woe that Dudson is determined to put right this season with French heavyweights Catalans.
He said: “It’s a bitter pill to swallow losing three finals like that but I’m expecting we can be right up there and challenging again this year.
“In 2019, Salford defied all belief and expectation to get to the Grand Final – but looking back our semi-final win over Wigan was like our grand final.
“In 2020 we were bitterly disappointed to let the Challenge Cup final slip away and last year’s Grand Final was another massively frustrating defeat.”
Wild crowd celebrations, before and after the game, helped make the Dragons’ semi-final win over Hull KR the feel-good moment of last season. But the team refused to celebrate, saying they still had a job to do at the Grand Final at Old Trafford.
October’s defeat left the players with a sense of frustration – and Dudson says the team are hell-bent on ending this season with a huge victory party.
He said: “That semi-final atmosphere was pretty special and an experience we’ll never forget. This time we want to make sure we don’t fall at the final hurdle again so that we can finally celebrate with the fans.”
Wales international Dudson did the Challenge Cup and Super League double with Wigan nine years ago.
He said: “Those are the times you always remember but it does seem a long time ago now.
“Since then I’ve got married, had three kids, and am living in France.”
Catalans kick-off the coming season with a repeat showdown of the Grand Final, away at Saints on February 10.
But for now, Dudson is just happy to see the end of January. He said: “It’s not a good month for me and my family. Last year we moved to France, didn’t have any wifi and all got Covid... this January we moved house again, not had any wifi and all got Covid.”