Catalans Dragons v Wakefield Trinity: Confident Chester targets smash-and-grab repeat

Trinity will make the return trip on the day of the game, after a similar smash and grab approach helped them earn a 30-28 victory in Perpignan last July.

Coach Chris Chester’s side are in buoyant mood after overturning to 24-12 interval deficit to beat Leigh Centurions 28-24 eight days ago and another win over one of their key rivals would edge Trinity closer to securing a place in Betfred Super League’s all-important top-eight.

Chester, who this week agreed a two-year contract extension, could field an unchanged side tomorrow and he described confidence in the camp as “sky-high”.

He said: “We’ve won three from our last four, with a blip in the middle against Leeds.

“Catalans is always a hard place to travel to and we are doing it there and back in a day, similar to last year, but we will give it our best shot.

“We won there last year and we feel we are in a good position to do it again.”

Catalans have not won in their last four games and Chester expects them to come out all guns blazing, which means a good start is crucial for Trinity.

“They will have looked at our first-half performance last week, or the last 15 minutes of it and they’ll be licking their lips,” Chester said.

“We have got to make sure we front up because they are a physical side with a lot of big boys in there – they had four front-rowers on the bench against Castleford last week.

“That means most probably they will tire so we will get our chance and we have got to make sure we take our opportunities when they come.

“We have to make sure we compete with them.”

Chester has identified hooker Paul Aiton, who made 45 Super League appearances for Wakefield in 2012 and 2013, as one of Catalans’ main threats.

He was instrumental when Catalans went 14-0 up at Castleford last week, before falling away to lose 43-26, and Chester said: “I’ve been really impressed with him.

“He adds a different dimension to them when he’s playing.

“He is playing some really good stuff and we are going to have to be on our guard.”