Bonjour! We’re live from Perpignan this fine Saturday as Hull FC take on Catalans Dragons at the Stade Gilbert Brutus. Summer has certainly arrived in this beautiful part of the world, with temperatures knocking around 30 degrees. To use a Hull term, it’s ‘mafting’ down here, with an important Super League fixture to come.
For Hull, it’s a massive chance to build on last week’s encouraging performance at Leigh. John Cartwright’s side were well worth the two points against the Leythers, with another victory keeping them in check with the top six spots. Meanwhile, Catalans will be hunting for a first win in five games and their first since Steve McNamara’s dismissal two weeks ago. The long-serving coach left the Dragons after eight years in charge, with Joel Tomkins in the interim hot seat.
But despite the dramas evolving near the Pyrenees mountains, the focus for Hull, at least, has very much been on themselves. Cartwright has issued the same messages this week, with FC’s game centred on both competition and discipline – two facets that, when hand in hand, have been the backbone for a lot of their victories this year. Can they produce the goods? Time will tell, but as always, we’ll be there with all the team news, live action, and post-match reaction.