Rugby League: Catalans Dragons 13-14 St Helens

Lomax’s heroics seal a thrilling Super League victory

St Helens reignited their Betfred Super League campaign with a hard-fought victory over Catalans Dragons in Perpignan, showing no sentiment for former favourite Tommy Makinson in his first match against his old club.

Author - Jamie P

Both sides battled against fierce winds that made kicking a challenge, but it was Saints who adapted better to the punishing conditions. Despite a tight first half, they emerged victorious with a dramatic 14-13 win, thanks to Jonny Lomax’s last-minute drop goal.

The triumph marked Saints’ first league win at Stade Gilbert Brutus since 2018 and could prove to be a turning point for coach Paul Wellens, whose side has struggled for consistency this season.

Catalans were forced into a late reshuffle as Sam Tomkins took over the captaincy due to Ben Garcia’s illness, with Bayley Sironen stepping in. Meanwhile, Saints’ Paul Sironen missed the trip for a more personal reason—the birth of his child.

The visitors suffered an early setback when young winger Harry Robertson was forced off for a head injury assessment just two tackles into the game. However, they struck first, with stand-off Tristan Sailor bursting through the defence for a 30-metre dash to the line, securing his seventh try of the season. Moments later, he doubled his tally, capitalising on a surging run from Jack Welsby and a well-timed offload from Alex Walmsley.

Makinson, inevitably in the spotlight, played a key role in Catalans' response. His deft chip over the Saints defence was collected by Tomkins, who got the hosts on the scoreboard. The former Saints winger then added a try of his own just before half-time, rolling over the line after a tense 20-minute deadlock. His missed conversion left the score at 12-10 to the visitors.

With the wind in their favour after the break, Saints thought they had extended their lead immediately when Lomax’s high ball was gathered by Sailor, only for the video referee to rule him offside. The challenging conditions continued to disrupt the game, with both Lomax and Luke Keary struggling in the aerial battle. Two lengthy captain’s challenges and referee Jack Smith’s communication issues further disrupted play.

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Catalans drew level in the 62nd minute through a Tomkins penalty after Saints were penalised for offside in front of their posts. Then came a moment of controversy—a scrappy kick forward from Remis Smith fell to Tevita Pangai Junior, who offloaded to Keary before Sironen touched down. However, after another extended video review, it was ruled a knock-on.

Lomax seized the initiative with seven minutes left, landing a wind-assisted drop goal to put Saints ahead. But Makinson’s short restart set up Keary to reply in kind, making it 13-13.

Just when it seemed the game was destined for extra time, Lomax showed nerves of steel, slotting a second one-pointer in the final minute to seal a dramatic Saints victory.