All eyes were on the Castleford Tigers for their trip to the south of France to take on the Catalans Dragons in their fortress. The Tigers were looking to draw level with the Saints and the Giants and give themselves the chance of a play-off place finish.

The Dragons are practically out of the play-off places and are playing for pride in their remaining games. A win today would see them above Hull FC and up into seventh and a big win, by forty-four points or more, would lift them above Warrington into sixth.

Tony Gigot opened the scoring for the Dragon after just two minutes when he found a gap through the Tigers defence after a passing move down the right. Inu missed the try but is was a dream start for the home side.

Zeb Taia started and finished a move to go over off a Todd Carney pass. Inu failed to convert again and the lead was eight points, still manageable for the Tigers but they needed to get their act together.

After a quarter of an hour the Dragons extended their lead when Jeff Lima powered over the line to ground, despite the attentions of four Tigers defenders. As Thomas Bosc kicked the extras it was 14-0, and the visitors were not at the races.

On twenty-one Todd Carney got in on the act when he found a gap off a Bosc pass to go twenty metres and score next to the posts making the conversion a formality for Bosc and giving the Dragons a 20-0 lead. The Tigers were looking well beaten, it was turning into a terrible day at the office.

On twenty-eight the Catalans hit the self-destruct button when Ben Pomeroy was dismissed for the second consecutive home game after he dumped Ashley Gibson on his head in a one-on-one tackle. There was a long delay in play while all precautions were taken and Gibson was stretchered from the field.

The Tigers took seconds to make the one-man advantage count when a Luke Gale kick over the top was collected and touched down in the corner by Justin Carney. Luke Gale added the extras but the Tigers still had a mountain to climb.

Thirty seconds before the break and an offload from Zeb Taia hit Morgan Escare's knees before he picked up the bouncing ball and went seventy metres to score. Bosc kicked the conversion as the half time hooter called the teams into the changing rooms.

Two minutes into the second half and the Tigers added their second try when Oliver Holmes dived over in the corner after a barnstorming Carney run. Gale failed to add the extras from the touchline.

On forty-five the Dragons answered with a try of their own when a forty metre miss-out pass from Todd Carney found Tony Gigot to get his second of the afternoon, diving over in the left corner. Bosc kicked the conversion from the touchline for 32-10.

On fifty-seven Gale crabbed left across the field before putting in a grubber kick to the corner for Adam Milner to dive on the ball in goal. Luke Gale missed with the conversion for out wide and the deficit was now three converted tries at 32-14.

Tony Gigot completed his hat-trick on the hour when he picked out an interception from a Carney pass and went fifty metres to score. Bosc was again accurate from out wide and the game was in the bag for the home side at 38-14.

Ten minutes out from the end and Junior Moors got some small Tigers consolation when he pushed past four tacklers to score by the posts. Gale kicked the extra two for 38-20.

Escare benefitted from an Oliver Elima offload to find a gap for his second of the game, and when Bosc kicked the extras it was 44-20.

An Adam Milner consolation on seventy-seven gave the Tigers some credibility in the scoreline and when Luke Gale converted in off the left upright it was 44-26.

The Dragons had bossed this game from the start, and even the loss of Pomeroy for more than half of the match didn't effect their game plan or their dominance. Todd Carney was inspirational and you were left wondering what might have been for the Dragons if he'd stayed injury free for the whole season.

The Tigers travelled badly and were woeful for almost the full eighty. Coach Powell will have a lot of work to do over the next fortnight to get his side into a position to launch a credible attack on the top four and an end of season play-off place.

Dragons: Escare (2T), Inu, Gigot (3T), Pomeroy (RC), Sigismeau, Carney (T), Bosc (6G), Elima, Pelissier, Lima (T), Taia (T), Whitehead, Baitieri. Subs: Henderson, Anderson, Garcia, Bosquet.

Tigers: Roberts, Gibson, Channing, Shenton, Carney (T), Finn, Gale (3G), Lynch, Milner (2T), Millington, Holmes (T), McMeeken, Massey. Subs: Cook, Moors (T), Springer, McShane.

Referee: Ben Thaler
Attendance: 7,473