Catalans Dragons 6 Leeds Rhinos 28

Magic from Brodie Croft saw the half back score his second hat trick of the season to help Leeds Rhinos defeat Catalans Dragons 28-6 at the Stade Gilbert Brutus in round 18 of the Betfred Super League.

In their first victory in Perpignan since the 2022 Play-Offs, half back Croft led a largely one-sided affair with a long-range effort and two well-worked solo tries, plus Harry Newman and Lachie Miller’s first-half scores extended the Rhinos’ lead at the top of the table to four points.

After the Magic Weekend win over Bradford Bulls, Riley Lumb came in on the wing in the place of the injured Ryan Hall. Lumb’s inclusion was the winger’s first Super League outing for the Rhinos since the season opener against Leigh Leopards, but 18 tries in 12 outings for the Reserves earned the winger an opportunity ahead of Alfie Edgell, who made the trip as he approaches a return to action. Keenan Palasia also dropped out through injury to give birthday boy Cooper Jenkins a starting appearance alongside Mikolaj Oledzki at prop.

The fixture also marked four milestones for players inside the Rhinos camp. Danny Levi (200 games), Jake Connor (300 games) and Tom Holroyd (100 games) all marked significant career milestones, whilst Kallum Watkins became the latest name as part of a distinctive group to play 300 Leeds games.

An unconvincing start by the away side harkened back to memories of the recent trips to the South of France as the Dragons came out of the blocks quickly. Cooper Jenkins faced the brunt of a shot by the Catalans’ defence from kick-off – subsequently going off for an eye injury - as John Cartwright’s tried to bounce back from their damning defeat to Toulouse at Magic Weekend. An uncharacteristic error by Maika Sivo also had the travelling Rhinos fans – numbering over 1,000 – hearts in their mouths as Leeds took their time to settle into the contest.

Quickly brushing off the early pressure applied by the home side, Harry Newman ended a three-year wait for Leeds points at the Stade Gilbert Brutus with a try on eight minutes. A great offload by Danny Levi set Mikolaj Oledzki away to start a run of three consecutive sets that the Rhinos would have near the Catalans try line, and after Ash Handley was unlucky not to connect with Lachie Miller’s stabbed kick ahead, the away side bided their time and got the results as Connor’s high bomb bounced into the arms of Newman to finish off.

A calamity of errors from the Dragons saw the home side bomb a chance to level the score before conceding a try at the hands of Brodie Croft. Well-worked play opened space for Leo Darrelatour to break free, but after the winger fed Toby Sexton for a certain score, the half back decided to return the favour and the ball was put on the ground short of the try line. Moments later, Lewis Dodd wildly offloaded the ball away under pressure from Miller and Croft was the first to react and outsprint Zac Lipowicz over 60 metres to get a second score for the Rhinos.

Luck continued to run in Leeds’ favour as a kick by Sexton ricochetted off the boot of Mikolaj Oledzki and Handley raced up to claim the ball for Leeds. After Dodd missed a chance to put Darrelatour in at the corner, Jarrod O’Connor’s introduction into the action saw the hooker race free through the middle with Holroyd, but good scramble caught up with Croft as he was finishing the effort.

Finally, the Dragons’ resolve broke as Miller found himself over the line for a second time in 2026 before the break. Having tried to set up a similar try to the one he scored at Huddersfield earlier in the campaign moments before, the Leeds full-back followed up a break from O’Connor – off the back of a brilliant offload by Cameron Smith - to finish a routine try. Connor’s conversion sailed over to send Leeds into the break with a 16-0 lead.

Frustrations in the heat saw both sides clash only two minutes into the second half, sparked by a late and dangerous hit by Ben Condon on Connor. After referee Liam Moore intervened to split the teams up, they were quickly firing back at each other minutes later as referee Liam Moore threatened sin-binnings at the next coming together.

A scrappy second half continued as neither side found their rhythm, but thundering hit-ups kept the fans entertained as both teams continued to get stuck into the contest. Thankfully for the travelling supporters, the try scoring resumed for the Rhinos as they approached the hour mark thanks to Croft. The Leeds half was scheming alongside Miller as the Leeds full back found Croft running a great angle, before he sent Staines reeling with a dummy to finish his 19^th try in all competitions.

Catalans failed to convert yet another attempt as Cotric couldn’t get outside Sivo before finding himself over the sideline, but the tries continued to flow for the Rhinos as another win beckoned. Darrelatour’s ill-discipline was punished by referee Moore, who added an extra ten metres onto a penalty for dissent, but after an attack was thwarted as Miller tried to put Sivo over in the corner, a mistake from Laguerre led to O’Connor setting up Croft for his hat trick try to mark another memorable night for the half back. Connor converted to take the score to 28-0 with 10 minutes remaining.

All eyes shifted to the wing of Sivo as the winger’s scoring streak was under threat of ending. A wide pass from Miller looked to give the Fijian a chance off the back of another good set from the Rhinos, but Cotric and Laguerre halted him in his tracks. To their credit, the Dragons had one last roll of the dice to put points on the board, but off the back of a 40/20 kick from Dodd, Sexton’s pass was palmed away by Handley out of Darrelatour’s path. Tison came up with the consolation effort in the final minute, but it was a night to remember as Leeds moved to seven consecutive wins.

Teams

Dragons

1. Charlie Staines, 3. Nick Cotric, 21. Matthieu Laguerre, 4. Solomona Faataape, 28. Leo Darrelatour, 6. Toby Sexton, 7. Lewis Dodd, 16. Josh Allen, 19. Kruise Leeming, 11. Franck Maria, 33. Edenn Rogers-Smith, 20. Zac Lipowicz, 10. Julian Bousquet

Subs: 12. Ben Condon, 17. Romain Navarette, 18. Harvey Wilson, 26. Ugo Tison (18^th Man: 27. Clement Martin)

Tries: Tison (79)

Goals: Sexton 1/1

Rhinos

1. Lachie Miller, 2. Maika Sivo, 4. Ash Handley (C), 3. Harry Newman, 22. Riley Lumb, 6. Brodie Croft, 7. Jake Connor, 8. Mikolaj Oledzki, 23. Danny Levi, 15. Cooper Jenkins, 14. Chris Hankinson, 12. James McDonnell, 11. Kallum Watkins

Subs: 10. Tom Holroyd, 9. Jarrod O’Connor, 17. Cameron Smith, 20. Presley Cassell (18^th Man – 26. Tom Nicholson-Watton)

Tries: Newman (8), Croft (19, 55, 66), Miller (36)

Goals: Connor 4/5