Catalans Dragons 32 Leeds Rhinos 18: Race for sixth goes down to the wire - match report

Rhinos could have sealed a top-six spot with victory at Catalans Dragons and effectively eliminated Castleford, but Monday’s 32-18 loss means the final round derby is a sudden-death shootout for the final place.

Fielding a patched-up side, Rhinos wiped out an early Catalans lead and seemed to be getting on top until a decision went against them, leading to a 15-minute spell when they didn’t have possession and the hosts ran in four successive tries.

That took the score from 6-6 to 28-6 at the interval and this time Rhinos - who had wiped out a 30-6 deficit on the same ground a month earlier - couldn’t close the gap, despite a big second half effort.

Rhinos travelled without Ash Handley, who stayed in Leeds with his heavily pregnant partner, so Liam Tindall returned from injury on the left-flank.

Laim Sutcliffe and Morgan Gannon both played, despite injuries suffered against Huddersfield five days earlier, but with both Blake Austin and Aidan Sezer unavailable, Jack Sinfield and Richie Myler formed a makeshift half-back pairing.

Other changes included Rhyse Martin switching from the pack to centre, Sam Walters - who scored the first try and had a strong game - coming in at starting prop, Zane Tetevano moving to the second-row and Muizz Mustapha returning on the bench.

It was no surprise Leeds struggled for go-forward. A couple of errors were punished and Rhinos’ couldn’t stem the tide during Catalans’ dominant spell, but they could take heart from their spirited effort after the break.

Rhinos were forced to drop out from their own line three times in the opening nine minutes, conceding six points as a result. After the first, inside three minutes, Fouad Yaha cruised over at the corner from a long pass by Arthur Mourgue, who replaced Sam Tomkins at full-back for the hosts.

Terrific defence from Rhyse Martin and Richie Myler forced Samisoni Langi into touch from the second drop out, but Zak Hardaker’s third didn’t go 10 metres and Mourgue - taking over from Tyrone May who had missed the first conversion - took the two.

It took Leeds 13 minutes to get into Catalans territory - through a penalty following a high tackle on Sutcliffe - and they scored from their first attack.

Kruise Leeming, starting at hooker for the first time since the start of July, ran out of acting-half and Walters took the pass, using his towering height to crash between the posts.

Gannon almost stretched over at the end of the first quarter after Sinfield forced a goal line drop out and there seemed to be an obstruction by Michael McIlorum at the next play-the-ball, but referee Robert Hicks saw a knock-on instead.

That was a pivotal moment as Catalans added 22 points before Leeds’ next play-the-ball.

In the set from the turnover, Tom Davies improvised a kick on the last, Myler fumbled behind the line and Joe Chan touched down.

Rhinos were penalised following the restart and Pearce stepped through past Mikolaj Oledzki and Myler from first receiver.

Catalans then forced two more drop outs, back-to-back and the pressure led to the hosts’ fourth try, to Yaha from Mourgue’s pass.

After that, a set restart kept Leeds under the pump and Gid Dudson powered over from close-range. Mourgue added the extras to the second, third and fifth tries, with May missing from the other.

Leeds got off to a perfect start in the second half when Sam Kasiano knocked on the kick-off, Leeds received a penalty on the line and Myler spun over from Leeming’s pass.

Fourteen minutes from time, Catalans were penalised for interference at the ruck and Brad Dwyer cut through in the resulting set.

Martin’s 33rd successive goal cut the gap to 10 points and Rhinos went close soon afterwards through Walters, but an increasingly jittery Catalans held on and made the game safe in a penalty set four minutes from time when Langi went over to complete the scoring.

Leeming, who switched into the halves after Sinfield went off, managed to play on after a foul by Dean Whare which resulted in a penalty, but didn’t lead to a card of either colour.

A shoulder by Kasiano on Dwyer - after he had released a forward pass, leading to a scrum - wasn’t pretty either.

Catalans Dragons: Morgue, Davies, Langi, Whare, Yaha, Pearce, May, Seguier, McIlorum, Napa, Whitley, J Chan, Garcia. Subs Dudson, Da Costa, Goudemand, Kasiano.

Leeds Rhinos: Hardaker, Tindall, Sutcliffe, Martin, Briscoe, Myler, Sinfield, Oledzki, Leeming, Walters, Gannon, Tetevano, O’Connor. Subs Dwyer, Prior, Mustapha, Bentley.

Referee: Robert Hicks (Oldham).