Catalan Dragons 50 Bradford Bulls 26: Potter rules out Dragons switch as Kopczak walks out

The Bulls needed to win in Perpignan and hope Wakefield lost at Salford to book an against-all-odds top-eight spot, but their hopes were dashed with this loss.

Had they not been deducted six points for financial troubles they would have made the grade with some ease, but their season is now over and so it appears is Potter’s time in charge.

He has worked without pay for two months after being made redundant and, when Robinson announced last week that he was heading to the Sydney Roosters, Potter – a former Catalan coach – seemed the perfect fit.

Potter denied that, though, saying: “I spent three enjoyable years living and working in France and I think that is a chapter of my life that has gone and both the club and and I need to look to the future.”

Robinson confirmed his future is in Australia, and he praised his players, in particular hat-trick scoring full-back Clint Greenshields, for handling the news well.

“Clint was unbelievable out there,” he said.

“We weren’t going to lose that game with him on the field. Obviously things have happened over the last 48 hours that can rock a team, and Clint led the way out there for us.”

It was just a step too far for the Bulls. Jarrod Sammut scored four tries but their dreams ended after an early 10-point lead was overturned.

“It was a poor end. We had a bright start. We have had a few games like that this season. We came up with 13 errors in the second half, which is poor,” said Potter. “You cannot give a team like Catalan 13 extra sets in your half if you want a chance of winning the game. The score is a reflection of how the game went.

“We were pretty competitive in the first half but then we fell away with too many unforced errors.”

Craig Kopczak is set for a legal showdown with Bradford after quitting on the eve of the game.

The 22-year-old prop made himself unavailable for the last match of the regular season after terminating his contract. Kopczak is under contract to Bradford until the end of 2013 but opted to resign when the club’s takeover went through last week.

The player’s agent, Martin Shuttleworth, confirmed Kopczak had taken legal advice, drawing on legislation used in the recent Rangers case, namely the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations 2006 (TUPE).

Shuttleworth said: “The net effect of having served the notice is that he is deemed to have resigned with effect from August 31, 2012 and his employment with the club is automatically terminated.”

Bradford’s acting chief executive Gary Tasker believes Kopczak has been approached by rival Super League clubs, contrary to a gentleman’s agreement not to do so. I’m bitterly disappointed that the player has taken advice which has resulted in him leaving the group at this late stage of the season,” Tasker said.

“The major disappointment in this episode is that a young player on a good contract doesn’t normally terminate it unless he is being offered better terms elsewhere. It would appear that a club has broken ranks and made the player a better offer.”

Catalan Dragons: Greenshields, Blanch, Sa, Millard, Bosc, Dureau, Baitieri, Raguin, Henderson, Ferriol, Anderson, Casty, Duport. Substitutes: Menzies, Mounis, Fakir, Pelissier.

Bradford: Kearney, Crookes, Platt, Lulia, Kear, Jeffries, Gale, Elima, Whitehead, Olbison, Hargreaves, Sammut, Manuokafoa. Substitutes: Scruton, Joseph, Diskin, C. Walker.

Referee: R Silverwood (RFL).