Catalans build pressure and put a good kick in, Kyle Eastmond kicks it into touch and Catalans have possesion 10m out. Clint Greenshields goes over and hits back for Catalans from a scrum move. Marginet misses the conversion once again.

Leon Pryce enters the field of play in the place of Lee Gaskell.

After Steve Menzies is a adjudged to knock on in his own half Saints get good field position. Leon Pryce brings in Kyle Eastmond who gives a great short ball to Michael Shenton and he goes over for the four points. Jamies Foster kicks his 6th and Saints have a 10 point lead.

That's what happens when you feed she ton! What a try! Welcome back Leon.

A bad tackle on LMS and Saints have more great possession in the Catalans half. Leon and Lomax combine to put Flannery away but Greenshields gets to him. The ball is played and Meli is in space and goes over for another try.
Foster keeps his 100% record with the boot.

Some great offloading play leads to Foster going over for his hat trick and surely now Saints will hit 40 with the conversion. Foster gets the 40 point mark on the board.

And the full time hooter goes, Saints 40 - 18 Catalans.

Great win, hopefully sent a message out that we still have something to say about the season finale...

That left hand side sounded like it took one hell'uva beating tonight. Something for Royce to work on with Shenton, makinson and co.

Shame for Catalans that they had so many out including both half-backs. Bosc, Dureau, Ferriol, Sa, Farrar, Fakir, Stacul all missing. Looks like the goal kicking let them down a bit too. Clear fourth now for Saints.

For the 200th time this season! It's Gaskell at fault in defence not Shenton or Makinson or Gardner. He'll be a good player but Gaskell can't tackle for toffee! Not good enough and won't be until he puts a bit of meat on.

I agree with you there but Shenton also missed a fair few tonight

Wheeler, Wellens, Perry, Gardner, Clough.
BTW: Fakir played

It wasnt Gaskells fault for being left three on two thats Shenton who was defending inside.

The proof of this was when Gaskell went off, Cats still went straight down Saints right and scored. Pryce was in the position that Gaskell had been covering. That shows a structural problem with Saints right hand side defence.
For me Shenton has a tendency to defend the slide running backwards, this allows players to curve round the outside of him. This puts pressure on the outside defenders who are left in either three on two or two on one situations. Shenton needs to learn to attack the slide and move up, not back off.

It's amazing what Saints can do when they hold on to the ball and when they have an experienced halfback on the field.

Agreed about the sliding defence on our right. Shenton was poor defensively tonight. Hopefully that can be fixed up as it is a glaring defensive weakness.