Catalan Dragons 4 - 24 Hull FC
Aiden Sezer appeared revitalized in Perpignan, as The Airlie Birds triumphed over the Catalan Dragons, showcasing their credentials in the 2025 Betfred Super League. Although the Black and Whites supporters may remain cautious, this performance suggests that the heart and determination that were lacking in 2024 have been rekindled by John Cartwright and his squad.
Regarding Steve McNamara's Dragons, many anticipated a strong reaction following their disappointing performance against the Halifax Panthers in the Challenge Cup last weekend. However, even the addition of the illustrious Luke Keary failed to invigorate Les Dracs. In many ways, their performance mirrored that of 2024, lacking any significant threat in their attacking strategies. One thing is clear: the pressure on McNamara, as highlighted by both the French press and the fans last year, has intensified considerably.
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The Coaches Assessment
Steve McNamara
John Cartwright
The Final Word
Few commentators anticipated FC's impressive victory over the Dragons in Game 1 of the Betfred Super League in Perpignan. As noted by the Sky commentators, FC had not secured an away win in the Super League since Round 18 of the 2023 season, where they triumphed at Craven Park with a score of 16-6. Therefore, credit is due to the dedicated FC fans who traveled to the south of France last night; it was a pleasure to see their smiles and enjoyment following a challenging previous season.
This victory has certainly prompted a reassessment of both teams' prospects for the current season. The Dragons must enhance their attacking fluency, creativity, and overall application to avoid underperforming once again. Conversely, for the Airlie Birds, this win serves as a strong launch into the season. They will host the Wigan Warriors at the MKM Stadium next Friday, and given both teams' mixed fortunes in the opening round, the matchup promises to be exhilarating
The Gladiators who took the Field
Catalan Dragons
7 Arthur Mourgue
2 Tommy Makinson
3 Arthur Romano
17 Bayley Sironen
5 Nick Cotric
6 César Rugé
7 Luke Keary (D)
15 Chris Satae
9 Benjamin Garcia
16 Romain Navarrete
11 Tariq Sims
12 Elliott Whitehead
13 Oliver Partington
Interchange
8 Tevita Pangai Junior
10 Juliann Bousquet
14 Alrix Da Costa
19 Paul Seguier
Try Scorers: Mourgue (44),
Tale of the Boot: Mourgue 0/1
Hull FC
1 Jordan Rapana (D)
2 Harvey Barron
3 Zak Hardaker (D)
5 Tom Briscoe
22 Lewis Martin
14 Cade Cust
7 Aidan Sezer (D)
8 Herman Ese’ese
9 Amir Bourouh (D)
16 Yusuf Aydin
11 Jed Cartwright
12 Jordan Lane
13 John Asiata
Interchange
10 Ligi Sao
17 Jack Ashworth
19 Brad Fash
25 Denive Balmforth
Try Scorers - Lane (25), Cust (36, 63), Briscoe (39)
Tale of the Boot - Sezer 4/5
HOW IT WENT DOWN: 0-6, 0-12, 0-18; 4-18, 4-22, 4-24
Man of the Match - The Super League Raw Trophy
3pts - Aiden Sezer
2pts - Cade Cust
1pt - Zac Hardaker
Super League Raw Members Man of the Match
Aiden Sezer
Key Performance Indicators:
Top Tackler – Oliver Partington - 44
Top Tackle Busts – Arthur Romano - 6
Most Carries – Lewis Martin - 27
Most Metres – Lewis Martin - 180
Most Hard Metres (Prop, SR, LF) – Julian Bousquet - 99
Most Clean Breaks – Arthur Romano, Lewis Martin, Aiden Sezer -1
Most Offloads – Tevita Pangai Jr - 5
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