Catalans kick off 2026 with muddy win over Giants

Betfred Super League

Catalans (14) 26

Tries: Condon, Staines, Makinson, Faataape Goals: Sexton 5

Huddersfield (4) 10

Catalans Dragons kicked off their 2026 Super League season with an impressive victory over Huddersfield Giants at a wet and muddy Stade Gilbert Brutus.

Ben Condon touched down for Catalans’ opener while Charlie Staines put in an outrageous dummy to open his account for the club on the half-hour mark.

Having had Oliver Russell sent to the bin, Huddersfield hit back when down to 12 courtesy of Sam Halsall’s try against the run of play.

The game was a muddy affair as torrential rain plagued the Perpignan area, with the pitch waterlogged in parts due to the substantial downfall into, and during, Friday’s fixture.

Condon might have registered his name on the scoresheet to get the hosts off the mark yet the hard work was already done in the lead up courtesy of Lewis Dodd’s dummy, defence-opening run and sublime kick to goal.

The hosts thought they had doubled their try tally soon after when Faataape collided over the line but, in the process of trying to turn and ground the ball, Huddersfield full-back Flanagan got a hand to the ball before he could successfully touch down.

Staines, playing in his first Super League game for Catalans having joined from Wests Tigers, got off the mark in fine fashion courtesy of a sumptuous dummy which wrong-footed the Giants’ defence once more.

Huddersfield’s task was made harder as they lost Russell shortly before the break to a cheap professional foul but, undeterred, Halsall galloped his way to the corner to bring up the visitors’ first points of the evening.

Faataapi put in a tremendous offload to Makinson who duly touched down at the corner after the break but, seemingly out of nothing, Flanagan slid into a drowned out goal to touch down and bring the Giants to within 10 points of the hosts.

Catalans: Staines; Makinson, Cotric, Faataape, Simm; Sexton, Dodd; Allen, Da Costa, Navarrete, Lipowicz, Condon, Garcia.

Interchanges: Satae, Bousquet, Fa’asuamaleaui, Leeming.

Huddersfield: Flanagan; Halsall, Milne, Hewitt, Gagai; Lolohea, Russell; Patolo, Woolford, Greenwood, O’Donnell, Rushton, Powell.

Interchanges: Burgess, English, King, Cozza.