Catalan Dragons 12 Leeds Rhinos 27: Few home comforts for Catalan as Rhinos take control

Catalans struggled in wet conditions as they continually dropped the ball at crucial times with Zeb Taia, Louis Anderson and Jamal Fakir all accountable with unforced errors.

Kevin Sinfield led the way with 15 points as the Rhinos bounced back from the disappointment of drawing their last game against Bradford with a superb victory achieved in spite of Bailey’s removal for a late, shoulder-high challenge on Thomas Bosc.

Leeds took the lead in the eighth minute when they sent the ball wide to Stevie Ward, who found Joel Moon and the Australian managed to slide over the line before his legs hit the touchline despite the best efforts of Damien Blanch. Sinfield continued his impressive goal-kicking streak with the touchline conversion.

Catalans tried to exert pressure on the Leeds line and thought they had scored in the 17th minute as Mathias Pala dived for Bosc’s kick only for Leeds winger Joe Vickery to get back and knock the ball dead.

Sinfield extended the Rhinos’ lead further in the 22nd minute with a penalty for an alleged Remi Casty infringement, although replays suggested that it was a loose carry by Jamie Peacock instead.

Catalans continued to press but failed to break the Leeds defensive line. Frustration told four minutes before the break when Eloi Pelissier shoulder charged Rob Burrow off the ball.

Referee Ben Thaler awarded Leeds a penalty in front of the posts and Sinfield added his third goal of the evening to give Leeds a 10-0 half-time lead.

Catalans came out firing after the break and were helped after Bailey was sent off for his unnecessary take down on Bosch.

From the resulting penalty Pelissier fed Leon Pryce and the former St Helens man stepped his way to the Leeds line to score Catalans’ first points of the night. Bosc added the conversion to narrow the Leeds lead.

It was Bosc five minutes later who saw the Catalans take a 12-10 lead as he sold Rob Burrow an outrageous dummy to score underneath the posts and make his conversion attempt a formality.

Sinfield levelled the scores on the hour mark as he added his fourth goal of the evening after Carl Ablett was taken out off the ball. The result could have gone either way at that stage but in the last 12 minutes, Leeds ran riot.

Paul McShane dummied his way to the line from two metres out, fooling Casty and Morgan Escare. Sinfield added the conversion and with 10 minutes to go added a drop goal to give the Rhinos a 19-12 lead.

Two minutes later Jamie Jones-Buchanan went over under the posts through the weak tackles of Casty and Escare. Sinfield again added the conversion to give the Rhinos a 13-point lead.

Sinfield added a further penalty and his seventh goal of the night with five minutes remaining.

Catalan Dragons: Escare, Blanch, Menzies, Millard, Pala, Pryce, Bosc, Elima, Henderson, Casty, Taia, Anderson, Mounis. Substitutes: Pelissier, Fakir, Paea, Baitieri.

Leeds Rhinos: Watkins, Vickery, Ablett, Moon, Hall, Sinfield, McGuire, Bailey, Burrow, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Delaney, Ward. Substitutes: McShane, Kirke, Achurch, Moore.

Referee: B Thaler (Wakefield).