Betfred Super League
St. Helens (6) 24
Number of attempts: Harrell, Matautia, Makinson, Rees the goal: Percival 4
Catalan (6) 12
Number of attempts: Johnston, Bousquet the goal: Murgh 2
Super League leaders St Helens ended a five-game losing streak with a hard-fought comeback against Catalans Dragons.
Sam Johnston gave the visitors an early lead and the Dragons controlled much of the first half but failed to increase their advantage.
Conrad Harrell scored to tie the score at half-time but Saints turned the tide after the break with goals from Sione Matautia, Tommy Makinson and Matty Rees and four from Mark Percival.
Julien Bousquet’s late charge gave the Catalans hope, but the Saints emerged stronger from the crunch match to claim their first win over an opposition side since April 2022.
Johnston made a dominant start and silenced the home crowd with his sixth try of the season after 10 minutes, latching onto Jordan Abdool’s grubber kick for a corner, before Arthur Murgue added another to make it 6-0.
The Dragons dominated possession for the first 20 minutes but failed to create any clear-cut chances.
On the half hour mark, Saints moved the ball down the right and Jack Welsby passed to Tonga centre Harrell who scored, before Percival scored to make the score 6-6 at halftime.
A brawl ensued after the restart when Frank Mallia made a flailing arm-wrath high tackle on George Delaney, earning Mallia a yellow card.
The Saints were boosted by the performance of Agnatius Paasi, who returned to the bench after a 10-month injury absence, but Harrell had to battle an ankle injury soon after.
The home side took the lead two minutes into the second half when Lewis Dodd chased down a kick he had kicked himself and hooked the ball around Matautia’s arm for his third consecutive goal in three games to give Percival a 12-6 lead.
Mallia returned from being sent off two minutes later but Makinson extended the lead with a devastating break down the right wing, Welsby made a clever break, drew his man and beat Makinson for a corner.
Percival added another fine goal from the whitewash and with 15 minutes remaining Rees chased down a close-range kick from under the goalpost to score his first try of the season, which proved to be the deciding point.
Busquet charged through to reduce the deficit with six minutes remaining but the Saints held on to move two points behind defending champions Wigan, although the Warriors have two games in hand.
St. Helens: Welsby, Makinson, Harrell, Percival, Blake, Mbai, Dodd, Delaney, Clarke, Rees, Sironen, Matautia, Bell.
Interchange: Paasi, Davis, Royle, Stevens, Bennison.
Catalan: Rouge, Davis, Ikval, Laguerre, Johnston, Fages, Abdul, Navarrete, Murgues, Desalia, Sims, Bousquet, Garcia.
Interchange: Nikorima, Satae, Castano, Maria, and Yaha.
Judge: Aaron Moore.
