Robins head to France to take on the Dragons

169 days since Hull KR faced Catalan Dragons in the 2021 semi-final, the two teams face off again this Friday in Round six of Super League at the Stade Gilbert Brutus in Perpignan.

The Robins got back to winning ways last week with a hard-fought victory over Salford, whereas last season’s Grand Finalists Catalans have kicked on from last year with a 28-0 demolition over Wigan shows the Dragons want to go one step further this time around.

Kane Linnett and Dean Hadley will miss Hull KR’s trip to Catalan, dampening the Robins’ preparations for the trip to France. Linnett has experienced a repeat of the quad issue that led him to miss the previous game against St Helens, whereas Hadley sustained a calf injury in last week’s victory against Salford Red Devils. There’s still no place for Lachlan Coote in Tony Smith’s 21-man squad but key playmaker Matt Parcell is fit for the clash after a dead leg scare in Greater Manchester last week.

The Dragons are currently third in the table with four wins from five and welcome back Dylan Napa, Sam Kasiano, and prolific winger Fouad Yaha who are all expected to return to strengthen the already formidable Dragons outfit.

The two sides met four times in 2021, with the Dragons victorious in all. From a classic golden point victory in Round one to a semi-final battle for the right to play at Old Trafford, Catalans and KR produced a great storyline throughout 2021 and Friday’s clash will continue the tale.

Rovers will travel on Friday morning to Perpignan and return back to East Hull straight after the game. KR boss Tony Smith had his say on the right way to prepare for the occasion.

“You go over there and back on the day and get the job done and it’s the best way to do it. If you don’t, you want to do it the other way. I’ve done it both ways. I’ve had some good results and also come a cropper at times too” Smith told the Hull Daily Mail.

Key Man

Even at 32 years of age, the formidable Sam Tomkins still provides the biggest threat in this Catalan side. His link-up play from the back with Pearce and Drinkwater can split teams in half and Rovers will have to take the game to the England International and his teammates to have any chance of taking home the two points.

How the game can be won

The hostile atmosphere by the Catalans faithful can be the 14th man on the field for the home side and has changed the course of many games in Perpignan. Rovers must control the game from the start and silence the crowd early to assert their dominance from the first whistle. KR won the battle of the packs last week which gifted the Robins with a three-try lead at the break, you feel with the likes of Kasiano, Napa, Dudson and Garcia, the travelling side must slow the ruck down in defence to stop Catalans from getting a foothold in possession and territory.

Prediction 

Catalan by 14

Catalans 21-man squad: Tom Davies, Samisoni Langi, Dean Whare, Fouad Yaha, Mitchell Pearce, Josh Drinkwater, Gil Dudson, Micky McIlorum, Matt Whitley, Mike McMeeken, Ben Garcia, Alrix Da Costa, Benjamin Jullien, Paul Seguier, Mickael Goudemand, Arthur Romano, Tyrone May, Dylan Napa, Joe Chan, Sam Kasiano, Sam Tomkins.

Hull KR 21-man squad: Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Ryan Hall, Jordan Abdull, Albert Vete, Matt Parcell, George King, Matty Storton, Jez Litten, Korbin Sims, Elliot Minchella, Jimmy Keinhorst, Will Dagger, Mikey Lewis, Rowan Milnes, Will Maher, Ethan Ryan, Sam Wood, Greg Richards, Tom Garratt, Frankie Halton, Will Tate.

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