Walters bemoans Catalans luck

Struggling Catalans have been left licking their wounds after picking up several injuries in Saturday’s defeat against Hull.

Incredibly, four players sustained broken noses in the bruising encounter which ended 28-14 in the Airlie Birds favour.

Full back Dimitro Peolo, stand-off Tony Gigot and forwards Dane Carlaw and Dallas Johnson all sustained knocks, while back rower Gregory Mounis was left concussed after a heavy tackle, spending the night in hospital.

French international hooker Jean Philippe Baile has been ruled out for the rest of the season after breaking his forearm during the game in Perpignan, and had an operation on Monday.

The Dragons are already without Clint Greenshields, Chris Walker, Sebastien Martins, Cyril Gossard and Casey McGuire, while stand-off Adam Mogg was released earlier in the season on compassionate grounds.

Coach Kevin Walters said: “The game on Saturday was very physical, brutal at some stages.

“We have now 10 players injured but it has been the same since the start of the season. It really is a black year. In my long experience playing in NRL, I rarely saw such a bad luck.

“I am not using it as an excuse for us to be bottom in the competition since we still could have won on Saturday with Pelo’s try (which was dismissed by the video referee) and Dane Carlaw stoping just short of the try line.”

Catalans face Salford on Saturday for the third time this season, having beaten the Reds in the reverse league fixture and also in the Challenge Cup last month.

Walters added: “It is going to be hard to have 17 players available for this week-end. Half of our squad is not training due to injuries. We will have to call some reserve boys from UTC.”