Catalan Dragons 44 Hull FC 14: Gentle demanding a smarter approach as derby battle looms

The Dragons moved back up to third in the table after a convincing victory in a game which had been postponed in February because of a frozen pitch.

Gentle admitted: “They were just too big, quick and tough for us.

“We should have put a better effort in than what we did, it took us 65 minutes before we got involved in the game defensively.”

Gentle turned his focus to Hull’s next fixture when they visit neighbours Hull Kingston Rovers a week tonight.

He said: “We have a big turn around and it means we can prepare well for them.

“We are doing it tough at the moment, but every side does it tough at one point of the season and we have got to pick ourselves up and be a lot better.”

Gentle felt his players need to be “smarter” than they were against Catalan, adding: “I think some of our players are over-confident, there is no respect for the ball, no respect for the rules, there can be no argument with the penalties we gave away.

“We’re taking a long time to learn a lesson, we’ve got to be smarter than we were today.”

Catalan coach Trent Robinson praised Scott Dureau, Leon Pryce and Clint Greenshields, who between them scored five of the Dragons’ eight tries.

“We were found wanting a couple of times in defence tonight but I thought our combinations were superb and a lot better than recent weeks,” said Robinson.

“They stood up and these are proud moments for me as a coach.”

It all started so well for the visitors as they took an early lead through Ben Crooks.

But that was as good as it got for Hull as the Catalans ran in four tries before the half-time interval with Dureau scoring the pick of the bunch with a 90-metre intercept.

Hull could only muster a try from Tom Briscoe in response to tries from Leon Pryce, Daryl Millard and a second for Dureau as the half-time hooter sounded to see Catalan take a 22-8 lead after Dureau’s three goals from four attempts.

After the break, it took the home side just two minutes to extend the lead as Millard added his second of the evening after good work by Greenshields and Pryce. Dureau added the goal to extend the lead further.

Six minutes later and Dureau again intercepted on his own 10 metre line and raced away before Briscoe managed to get back and force the half back into an offload that found Damien Blanch.

The Ireland international raced down the right to score, taking out the corner flag in the process.

The referee and touch judge decided that it was a good try under the new ruling this season. Dureau missed the conversion.

Hull briefly stemmed the tide as Briscoe jinked his way through for his second try of the game in the 63rd minute.

Joe Westerman added his first goal from three attempts to make the score 32-14.

However, with 12 minutes left, Greenshields sealed the win with a try after Dureau put in a reverse kick through to allow the full-back the chance to score next to the posts. Dureau added the conversion, as he did for the eighth and last Catalan try from Greenshields.

The full-back dived over for his second score of the match to add the icing to a top-class Dragons performance.

Catalan Dragons: Greenshields, Pala, Millard, Duport, Blanch, Pryce, Dureau, Baitieri, Raguin, Menzies, Paea, Fisher, Casty. Substitutes: Bousquet, Mounis, Fakir, Pelissier.

Hull: McGoldrick, Crooks, Turner, Yeaman, T Briscoe, Horne, Seymour, Westerman, Manu, Whiting, Watts, Heremaia, Lynch. Substitutes: J Cunningham, Aspinwall, Green, Pitts.

Referee: T Alibert (France).