Catalans Dragons pulled off an upset win over Leeds Rhinos that has all however ended their likelihood of ending second in Betfred Tremendous League; they’ll now be within the battle for third; watch each Tremendous League match stay on Sky Sports activities
Final Up to date: 11/09/25 10:34pm
Catalans Dragons all however ended Leeds Rhinos’ hopes of securing a prime two end in Tremendous League
Leeds all however blew their hopes of clinching second place in Betfred Tremendous League after crashing to a shock 16-8 defeat to Catalans Dragons at Headingley.
A victory for the in-form Rhinos would have arrange an efficient winner-takes-all journey to Wigan within the ultimate spherical of the common season subsequent Friday.
However as an alternative Brad Arthur’s males now face the actual prospect of sliding behind each Leigh and St Helens within the ultimate rankings after registering by far their worst results of the season when it mattered most.
Shorn of influential half-back Jake Connor attributable to damage, Leeds had been second greatest all through and an opportunistic late attempt from Julian Bousquet confirmed the win for the beleaguered French facet.
Joel Tomkins’ males had lengthy since given up any hope of reaching the post-season and regardless of claiming two wins from their final three – over strugglers Castleford and Salford – they arrived in Yorkshire with seemingly little hope of upsetting the formbook.
However after surviving an early scare when Mikolaj Oledzki was held up over the road, Catalans started to dominate, Bayley Sironen coming shut after 12 minutes earlier than Ugo Tison burrowed over for the opener from the play-the-ball.
Three kicks from Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet would take the French facet’s lead into double figures and it might have been worse if Lachlan Miller had not summoned an outstanding saving deal with to disclaim Sironen his facet’s second.
Leeds Rhinos had ample possession however couldn’t end off to show it into factors
Tommy Makinson was a fingertip away simply after the interval and it was not till Romain Navarrete was sin-binned simply after the hour mark that the Rhinos scented a shift in momentum.
Tison’s saving deal with denied Kallum Watkins and Jack Sinfield jinked shut earlier than Ryan Corridor lastly put the hosts on the scoreboard 16 minutes from time with a trademark diving effort within the nook.
It was a troublesome and bruising encounter as Catalans confirmed actual willpower in defence
However after Morgan Gannon was denied on the road for a double motion, Catalans made the sport protected when Luke Keary’s tried drop purpose rebounded off the submit and Bousquet pounced to slap down the rebound.
Aispuro-Bichet stretched Catalans’ result in 16-4 however – to their credit score – Leeds stored urgent and Brodie Croft jinked over with three minutes remaining to provide his facet one other glimmer of hope.
Lachie Miller misse a vital conversion towards Catalans as he rushed with the clock ticking down
However Miller rushed his subsequent conversion try, booting the best of efforts huge and with that went any slim hopes the Rhinos had of fashioning one other transformed try to nudging the sport into golden-point extra-time.
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