Catalans Dragons 18 Hull KR 10: High-flying Dragons edge past battling Robins

Rovers resisted the Dragons for long periods in the game and at half-time it was all-square at 10-10, with Catalans leaving it late until a second-half try by Joe Chan sealed the points for the home team.

It is now five wins from six for the Dragons and title battle is looking increasingly like a two-horse race between themselves and St Helens, with Wigan Warriors and Huddersfield Giants coming up on the rails.

Catalans scored first with a ninth-minute penalty as Rovers held on too long in the tackle in front of their own posts, Sam Tomkins making it 2-0 with the simple conversion.

Then winger Fouad Yaha forced his way over in the left corner and Tomkins was on target again to extend the hosts’ lead.

Catalans lost stand-off Mitchell Pearce midway through the first half as he was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle and Rovers struck immediately with a try for winger Ryan Hall in the left corner after great handling from Jordan Abdull and Shaun Kenny-Dowall.

Sam Kasiano’s introduction from the bench had an immediate impact as he drove forward and forced a penalty from Rovers, which Tomkins successfully converted.

But the return of Pearce from the sin-bin only resulted in a loose pass to Hall, who raced 70 metres to set up the platform for Kenny-Dowall to force his way over just before half-time and Abdull added the extras.

Dylan Napa’s return from the bench seemed to lift the Dragons and they pushed forward to allow Pearce to rebound a grubber kick off the left post into the hands of Chan, who picked the ball up and scored, with Tomkins adding the conversion. He then added a late penalty to put the hosts eight points ahead to avoid late drama.

Catalans Dragons: Tomkins, Davies, Whare, Langi, Yaha, Pearce, Drinkwater, McMeeken, McIlorum, Napa, Jullien, Whitley, Garcia. Substitutes: Goudemand, May, Chan, Kasiano.

Hull KR: Dagger, Wood, Keinhorst, Kenny-Dowall, Hall, Lewis, Abdull, Garratt, Litten, King, Halton, Storton, Minchella. Substitutes: Vete, Sims, Ryan, Richards.

Referee: Tom Grant (RFL).