Catalans Dragons 32 Leeds Rhinos 18: Showdown set with Castleford Tigers to decide final Super League play-off spot

Catalans’ win secured them a home play-off and also rubber-stamped Salford Red Devils’ place in Super League’s post-season.

But the Rhinos missed the chance to clinch their top-six spot and now host the Tigers on Saturday in a fixture where the winner will make the play-offs at their opponents’ expense.

The Dragons, last season’s beaten finalists, are in serious contention for a return to Old Trafford with a host of senior players returning from injury and suspension just in time for the business end of the season.

Arthur Mourgue, Mitchell Pearce, Michael McIlorum and Sam Kasiano all came back to boost the Dragons, who were missing injured full-back Sam Tomkins.

Mourgue slotted into Tomkins’s role and was at the heart of everything good for Catalans and he was instrumental in the first try when he spun the ball left for Fouad Yaha to cross in the corner.

Mourgue added a penalty but Leeds hit back immediately at the other end of the pitch when hooker Kruise Leeming created the space for prop Sam Walters to crash between the posts.

Rhyse Martin added the simple conversion to level the scores.

Catalans countered when winger Tom Davies’s kick to in-goal was fumbled by Richie Myler and Joe Chan pounced to score, converted by Mourgue.

Then stand-off Pearce sidestepped his way through the Leeds defence from short-range in the 26th-minute and Mourgue’s conversion put the Dragons in front 18-6.

The Rhinos were forced into two goal-line drop-outs as Catalans turned the screw before half-time and a simple switch to the left stretched Leeds wide enough for Yaha to land his second try of the night.

Prop Gil Dudson came from the bench and pirouetted between the posts for a 34th-minute try and Mourgue’s conversion put the hosts firmly in control at 28-6 ahead before the interval.

Myler, the hat-trick hero of Leeds’ recent golden point comeback win at Stade Brutus, set alarm bells ringing among French supporters with an early try in the second half, scooting over from short range after a period of early pressure for the Rhinos.

Martin added the conversion to put the visitors back in contention at 28-12.

And the Dragons’ defence cracked again in the 67th minute following a series of penalties and substitute hooker Brad Dwyer forced his way over the line.

Martin again added the kick to put Leeds within 10 points.

But Samisoni Langi settled French nerves three minutes from time when he crossed in the corner for the killer try.

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

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

Referee: Robert Hicks (RFL).