2021 saw Catalans finish top of Super League for the first time.
15 years after their Super League debut in 2006, the Dragons proved that expansion clubs can reach the pinnacle of the sport so long as they have patience and backing as they became the eighth different team to win the League Leaders’ Shield.
They were also just two pints away from Grand Final glory against St Helens and becoming only the fifth team in Super League history to claim the title. At the centre of that was James Maloney. The former NRL Champion and State of Origin winner helped turn Catalans into real contenders over the two years he spent as a Dragon. So, his departure to the Elite One competition had people believing that the Dragons’ time at the top would soon subside.
However, Catalans have filled the void he felt with the signing of his former teammate and fellow Grand Final and State of Origin winner Mitchell Pearce from Newcastle Knights who promises to be the ideal replacement for Maloney and one of the best halfbacks in the competition in 2022.
He’s now arrived in France with the Dragons posting an image of him at the Stade Gilbert Brutus this morning having participated in first training session with his new club.
𝑩𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒖𝒆 𝒂̀ 𝑩𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒔 🏟
Mitchell Pearce vient d'arriver Ă Perpignan et a participĂ© ce matin Ă son premier entraĂ®nement pic.twitter.com/Ijp53mAsG0— Dragons Catalans (@DragonsOfficiel) December 31, 2021
With fellow NRL signings Tyrone May and Dylan Napa also joining the Dragons in 2022 it’s likely that the Dragons could return to Old Trafford in September and potentially go one better than last year.
