Leeds 20 Catalan 24: Stunned Rhinos down and out as Catalan pounce

Normally, at this time of year, they are moving through the gears, a familiar blue and amber machine finding their optimum performance level in readiness for yet another Grand Final.

Catalan Dragons famously obliterated that image as they produced one of the biggest shocks in Super League play-offs history to stun Headingley on Saturday night.

The French side looked in danger of enduring yet more heartache at the famous old ground where they had lost all nine previous meetings including a 2009 play-off that denied them a maiden Grand Final and, more recently, a 32-31 defeat in June suffered after the final hooter had blown.

Here they had overcome a 14-6 interval deficit to lead 18-14, tries from the excellent Zeb Taia and Louis Anderson both converted by Thomas Bosc putting them in sight of that elusive first win heading into the latter stages.

But Leeds – champions four times in the last six years – predictably dug themselves out of the mire when Zak Hardaker and Kevin Sinfield combined to put Jamie Jones-Buchanan charging through a gap in the 70th minute.

Sinfield’s third conversion put Brian McDermott’s side ahead and it seemed like the status quo was restored.

Yet there was another twist and in the most dramatic fashion.

Full-back Hardaker scrambled to get back from behind his own line after clearing up a dangerous Catalan kick in the penultimate minute but seemed to perform a voluntary tackle to do so.

It went unpunished but there was calamity anyway at the next play as Tom Briscoe – normally one of the safest wingers around –somehow fumbled Sinfield’s pass on his own line.

Sam Williams, the Australian half-back controversially selected ahead of Catalan’s Leon Pryce in recent weeks, picked up the loose ball to dive over for his second try and Leeds were beaten.

Bosc converted and there was barely time for the re-start. The hosts, suffering a sixth straight league loss around the high of winning the Challenge Cup, exited at the play-offs first round for the first time since 2006.

“It is strange to be out at this time of the season,” conceded Kylie Leuluai to The Yorkshire Post afterwards, the Samoan prop having won five titles since joining from Manly in 2007.

“I’m pretty sure we’ll be back in October now for training. And it’s strange losing like that. The game was ours. It just shows how important concentration is – with a minute to go you still have to do it.

“It’s very disappointing to finish like that. It does show the pressure of the Challenge Cup.

“The form hasn’t been good the last few weeks and we were hoping we’d turn it again. We did. But then that happened.”

The 36-year-old insisted Briscoe, who has fared so well in his first season since joining from Hull FC, should not be blamed, though adding the caveat it might haunt him for a time.

Leuluai said: “I do feel sorry for him. It is going to be a tough time for him over the next few weeks. But it didn’t come down to that.

“There was a few areas where a couple of guys made a few errors in the wrong places.

“Catalan just put pressure on us and we didn’t cope with it. We never thought we’d won it when Jonesy scored. There was still a while to go so we didn’t think that.

“Credit to Catalan. They came over here and got their first win.

“We threw so much into the Challenge Cup and as much as you want to win the league as well it’s hard to do the double, pick yourself up and find some momentum again.

“Teams have generally found it hard to do that and we’ve found out today just how tough.”

It is, therefore, Catalan who head to Huddersfield Giants on Friday for another elimination tie and the chance to move to within 80 minutes of a first Grand Final.

Given the Fartowners were vanquished 57-4 at Wigan Warriors last Thursday – it was an horrendous round of play-off ties for West Yorkshire clubs with Castleford Tigers also embarrassed 41-0 at St Helens – Laurent Frayssinous’s side will be hopeful of further shaking up the competition.

They had won just four of 15 away games in 2014 but found form at just the right time, this being their fourth successive win.

Leeds had scored first-half tries via Carl Ablett and Kallum Watkins, Sinfield adding two goals and Hardaker another while the Leeds captain recovered from a late challenge that saw Vincent Duport go on report.

But Williams kept his side in touching distance with a finely-crafted try in the 26th minute. His second came in altogether different circumstances yet so, so crucially.

Leeds Rhinos: Hardaker; T Briscoe, Watkins, Moon, Hall; McGuire, Sinfield; Leuluai, Burrow, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Ablett, Delaney. Substitutes: Aiton, Bailey, Achurch, Sutcliffe.

Catalan Dragons: Escare; Oldfield, Pomeroy, Duport, Millard; Bosc, Williams; Elima, Henderson, Anderson, Taia, Whitehead, Mounis. Substitutes: Lima, Bousquet, Pelissier, Garcia.

Referee: P Bentham (Warrington).