Preview: Catalans Dragons vs Castleford Tigers - Prediction, team news and lineups

Catalans Dragons will be eyeing up their third straight victory over the Castleford Tigers, when they welcome the Yorkshire outfit to Perpignan this Saturday night.

With the temperature above 30 degrees, conditions will be tough as both teams look for a return to winning ways in the Super League.

Match preview

Having lost four of their last five Super League matches, Catalans Dragons have lost ground on the top six, currently trailing the playoff spots by four points.

Last week the Dragons gave up home advantage to play the Wigan Warriors in Paris - a special fixture designed to celebrate 30 years of the Super League.

Unfortunately for the Catalans, there was little to celebrate as their men were blown away by the Challenge Cup winners, ultimately losing 40-16 in the French capital.

There appear to be serious defensive cracks in John Cartwright’s team at the moment, with the team conceding a lot of points even during victories.

Only bottom-of-the-table Huddersfield Giants have conceded more points in the Super League than the Dragons, with the French side shipping 30 points per game on average.

The time has come for Castleford Tigers fans to make their annual trip to the south of France, though playing there in the middle of summer is unlikely to help their chances.

The Tigers have lost seven successive trips to Perpignan, with the last two defeats coming by an aggregate score of 78-18.

To make matters worse, Ryan Carr and his men lost momentum last weekend as they saw their two-match winning run snapped by the in-form Leigh Leopards.

Despite showing some decent fight, Castleford ultimately lost the match 24-14 - a result which saw them remain in 10th spot, six points behind the playoff places.

One positive for the Tigers is the fact they won two of their last three away matches in Super League, beating both Wigan Warriors and York Knights.

Catalans Dragons Super League form:

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Castleford Tigers Super League form:

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Team News

There are a couple of changes in the Catalans Dragons team, with Matty Russell and Benjamin Garcia both dropping out of the squad.

Leo Darrelaour and Alexis Lis have been named as the replacements, with the duo looking to make an impact.

It is also worth noting that prop Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui has left the club in recent days due to family reasons.

When it comes to the Castleford Tigers, Brock Greacen and Jack Ashworth are both out of the squad,

New addition Jack Brown is expected to make his debut, while George Hirst returns from his suspension.

Saturday will also be a big game for Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e, who takes on his former employers.

Catalans Dragons 21-man squad:
Staines, Makinson, Cotric, Faataape, Sexton, Dodd, Satae, Bousquet, Maria, Condon, Allen, Navarrete, Wilson, Leeming, Lipowicz, Laguerre, Aispuro-Bichet, Tison, Martin, Darrelatour, Lis

Castleford Tigers 21-man squad:
Cini, McIntosh, Asi, Weaver, Atoni, Lawler, Lane, Mellor, Stimson, Senior, Qareqare, Mapapalangi, Windley, Hall, Robb, Golding, Hirst, Laulu-Togaga’e, Dupree, Brown

We say: Catalans Dragons 30-12 Castleford Tigers

Saturday’s game is going to be played in sweaty and uncomfortable conditions. The Dragons are more familiar with that environment, which is why we are backing them to win.

Castleford Tigers will put points on the board given the Catalans’ dreadful defensive record, but ultimately this will be an incredibly tough test for the Yorkshire outfit.