The only glimpse of Mead I got was that he wasn't quick enough to catch Tom Johnstone who's only running at 90% at the moment.

I think it's a foot race between McBanana & Jukes/K.C

Catalans [iwere[/i not [iwas[/i John Flatcap Dozey !
You make this error regularly.

*the Preston area must not be a seat of learning*

Catalan need to stop feeling sorry for themselves and having a go at the rest constantly. Thought they blew a couple of half chances by whining

Four games gone and nineteen to go.

nearly 20% of the pre split season gone, top 8 may already be a struggle.
FWIW, I thought Catalan gave it a real dig yesterday and with some better options in the Wakefield 20, they could have gained their first win of the season.
However, it looks like their on the road form is still miles away, which must be a real worry for the players and management over there.
Middle 8's look nailed on already.

I agree that top 8 may be a struggle, but I think that Catalans can make it. As the venerable RLFANS News Hound wrote on another threadBut, boosted by the return of the talismanic Tony Gigot from a troublesome year with the FFR judiciary, there were enough signs in their close 14-16 defeat to Wakefield Trinity to give some hope for the year ahead.[/i

Most teams suffer from injuries, but Catalans has suffered from injuries to players in key positions -- hooker and halves -- since the season has begun.

Just imagine Catalans at full strength, with Gregory Bird returning to his natural position in the back row, and then on the basis of yesterday's game you can imagine them winning 10 more games out of 19 and making the top 8. I expect it to all start when Catalans smash Hull KR in France two weeks from now.

Dream on

If Greg Bird put the same effort into playing the game as he does moaning at the ref, he'd be nearly as good a player as what Jean says he is.

Catalans did lack direction yesterday but you have to remember that they were missing both of their starting halfbacks and also their 1st and 2nd choice hookers.
I'm not writing them off completely yet, let's see how they go once Walsh, Langi and McIlorum are back in the side and Bird moves back to LF.
I still think they will beat most sides at home, but again their away form will keep them in the bottom four.

I also think McNamara was the wrong appointment. I don't rate him as a coach and so far I can't see his influence anywhere at all within the Catalans team. He's been very quick to start throwing out his excuses before a ball has hardly been kicked.

I am, and they're not that good. Walsh is good occasionally. Bird isn't the player he was, and neither is Casty. The side isn't as big as it once was. Your "full-strength" side ended up in the MPG last year. It's not the squad you think it is, and certainly not as good as it once was.

He'd also conserve some energy if he didn't go into every tackle flinging his head back and flapping his arms around as if he's just been garrotted.

On another note - Les Cats would be significantly improved if Mead was anywhere near as good as the commentators endlessly say he is; he looks by turns bored or annoyed at his current situation.

I dunno, I think Mead has some skillz but its not showing up too well at cats.
In the right team he'd look a million dollars......well......half a million mebbe, pulling all the strings together is the name of the game though, and there are far too many loose ends a cats.
Cue...McBanana

Don't know what game you were watching!

He saw what he wanted to see.

Wakey played well the ref didn't help them at all though with Bird on the pitch it's hard to spot who the real ref was.