Ninth placed Catalans Dragons entered round six of Super League XXX looking or their third win of the season as they faced a St Helens side who arrived in the south of France in the knowledge that a win would lift them into third spot in the table ahead of the Warrington Wolves side who took two points off them last week.

The bookmakers were struggling to pick a winner but handicapped St Helens by two points on the handicap coupon for what promised, on paper at least, to be a battle royal between two sides looking to escape mid-table mediocrity.

The home side had Tommy Makinson and Theo Fages back in their line up while Saints started with Joe Batchelor and Moses Mbye in their thirteen, the latter swapping places with Daryl Clark from last weeks starting line-up.

The Dragons had a strong wind at their backs in the opening half, Saints losing Robertson to a Head Impact assessment after a couple of minutes.

On five Saints hit the front, Tristan Sailor taking an inside pass from Jack Welsby to run thirty metres unopposed to score. Percival added the extras, against the wind but close to the sticks, for a 6-0 lead.

It took just two metres for Saints to go in, again Sailor, this one from closer range as he took the Welsby pass five from the line to crash over. Percival was again on target from under the sticks for 12-0, the Dragons shell-shocked.

On fifteen the Dragons stemmed the tide and got themselves back in the game as a Tommy Makinson chip over the top evaded the Saints defenders to be collected by Sam Tomkins inside the goal area to dot down. Tomkins added the conversion for 6-12.

On twenty-five the Dragons had a try ruled out for foot in touch, but it was now the home side in the ascendancy.

A Dragons kick was knocked-on by Saints in their own twenty which was quickly followed by a repeat set. Three tackles in Tomkins junked his way through the defensive line and muscled his way over the line. The grounding was dubious, but the referee went for try as he sent the decision to the video referee. The decision was confirmed and when Tomkins but he failed with the conversion, Saints with just a two point advantage, not what has been expected after Saint scintillating opening ten minutes.

A minute after the restart Jake Sambou went in for a try but after awarding a No Try, the video referee agreed that Saints were offside from the attacking kick.

On the hour mark Sambou knocked on an Elliott Whitehead kick to the corner. Saints wasted a captain’s challenge but grabbed a breather before a Dragons scrum ten from the line. When Saints were pinged for offside on the second tackle, Tomkins kicked the penalty goal to level the scores.

The Dragons had a try ruled out on sixty-four after a series of great offloads, the video referee judging that one of them had come after the ball carrying arm had hit the ground. There was still little between the two sides.

A Jonny Lomax drop goal from twenty metres out edged the Saints back in front on seventy-three but a minute later Luke Keary kicked the same for the Dragons, and again the sides were locked up.

Keary went from hero to zero a minute later when he knocked-on twenty from his own line but an awful offload from Alex Walmsley went to Dragons hands and the threat passed.

On seventy-eight it was Saints who dropped a second goal, again Lomax finding the target, The Dragons short kick didn’t go ten metres and Saints had a penalty on the halfway line, the game was over, Saints the winners thanks to the boot of Lomax.

It was a great win for Saints, their first in three games, which lifts them to third in the table. The Dragons indifferent season continues as they struggle to string together any kind of run of results. It was a cracker for the neutral, edge of your seat stuff, in difficult conditions.

Catalans Dragons: Tomkins (2T, G 2/3), Makinson, Laguerre, Smith, Cotric, Keary (DG), Fages, Pangai Junior, Da Costa, Bousquet, Sironen, Whitehead, Partington. Subs: Romano, Satae, Seguier, Maria. 18^th Man: Aispuro-Bichet.

St Helens: Welsby, Bennison, Robertson, Percival (G 1/1), Sambou, Sailor (2T), Lomax (2DG), Walmsley, Mbye, Lees, Whitley, Batchelor, Knowles. Subs: Clark, Paasi, Wingfield, Delaney. 18^th Man: Bell.

Half-Time: 10-12.

Full-Time: 13-14.  

Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, 0-10, 0-12, 4-12, 6-12, 10-12 :  HT: 12-12, 12-13, 13-13, 13-14 :FT.

Lead Exchanges: St Helens – Square – St Helens – Square – St Helens.

Referee: Jack Smith.