There is one last match in the current round of matches in the Super League and it is a big one in the race for the play-offs as the Salford Red Devils know that they can’t afford to lose when they head to France to take on the Catalans Dragons.
Salford will go into the top six if they win here but if the Dragons come out on top then they will secure their spot in the play-offs and will be looking good to host a game in the opening round which could be significant for them. Unfortunately there is no TV coverage of this one in the UK so it is social media and radio commentaries to stay on top of the action if you’re not going to the game.
Catalans Dragons
The Catalans Dragons have struggled a little in recent weeks. We ae used to them being very dominant at home and in recent times they have got better on the road but you couldn’t really say that either applies to them at the minute. The Dragons have lost four of their last six overall and two of their last five at home so they are just lacking that spark that we saw so often last season to get them into the Grand Final.
They have still done enough that whether they secure it this week or not they are highly likely to be in the play-offs but you would certainly worry for them if they had to go on the road in the postseason. Even their home wins recently have only been by a point and two points. Catalans need a convincing attacking performance not just for their own peace of mind but also to send a little bit of a marker out to the rest.
Salford Red Devils
If there is a team outside the top six who are surging for one of those positions then it is the Salford Red Devils but this is a real test of their character and their credentials. They know they can beat the Dragons, they beat them 32-6 a month ago at the AJ Bell Stadium but whether they can do it in the heat of the south of France in a pressure situation when they’ve seen a couple of sides around them win this week already is a different question.
We know that Salford are going to throw the ball around and look to play front foot rugby but the question they will be asked here is more of a physical one rather than a technical one. If they can match the physicality of the Dragons then they certainly have enough form players to get the job done here. It should be said that since the opening game of the season the only away games they have won have been in Warrington and Toulouse.
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Team News
Catalans Dragons will be without Sam Kasiano who picked up a suspension in the defeat to Castleford Tigers last week but Steve McNamara will have Ben Garcia, Gil Dudson, Fouad Yaha and Mickael Goudemand to call on.
Salford boss Paul Rowley sounded pretty confident when he was a guest on the Sky coverage on Thursday evening but he has only been able to name a 19-man squad due to injuries. Harvey Livett is the latest to miss out.
Betting
There is no getting away from the fact that the Catalans Dragons haven’t been as convincing as they would have liked this season, especially in recent times, but they get some key men in the middle of the park back for this match. One thing that is a positive for the Catalans is I don’t think Salford Red Devils will take them by surprise. Sam Tomkins worked on the Channel 4 coverage of their win over Huddersfield last week so he had an up close scouting mission on the Red Devils.
Salford played well in that match but they tend to do that at home. Away from home it is a different story as I highlighted above. Even last week, Huddersfield were terrible in the first half but when they came at Salford in the second half they got through at will and I expect the Dragons to have a period like that here and they can sew the game up in that time. Salford will give this a good go but they don’t win away very often and Catalans still don’t lose too many at home. The only question is whether they cover six points but the longer this goes on the better Catalans might get so I’ll take them to win and cover a converted try.
Tips
Back Catalans Dragons (-6) to beat Salford Red Devils for a 3/10 stake at 2.00 with William Hill
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