Catalans Dragons left shell shocked as coach reacts to ‘embarrassing second half’ against Wakefield Trinity

Catalans Dragons were taught a lesson in the second half of their loss to Wakefield Trinity and interim coach Ryan Sheridan pulled no punches in his assessment.

Despite taking a 10-0 lead inside just 12 minutes, Catalans failed to build on that and ultimately went on to concede 58 unanswered points to slump to a torrid 58-10 defeat, their worst of the season.

Tries from Charlie Staines and Toby Sexton handed Catalans that early lead but Wakefield started to get a foothold in the game, scoring in the 25th and 39th minutes to eventually be level at the half, however, the Dragons simply didn’t turn up for the second half as Wakefield ran riot.

Speaking post-match on Sky Sports, Sheridan couldn’t hide his disappointment as he assessed the performance.

“Really tough, that’s an embarrassing second half,” Sheridan declared.

“I think we didn’t touch the ball for 15 minutes and we had no energy in defence. Some of our defence was pretty disgraceful to be honest.

“The first half we competed, we were working hard, we were in front but there were a couple of key events in there that just unravelled us.

“We’re not that team that can survive them and we were afraid that would happen in the second half once Wakefield started to get on the front foot.”

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Sheridan also accepted that uncertainty at the club could be what is affecting performances with their round 10 loss to Leigh seeing a significant drop-off in the second half as well.

“I don’t know but it looks like that way,” he admitted in regards to uncertainty affecting performances.

Assessing more, he said: “If you look at the game itself, we started the game really, really well, playing a brand of rugby that was good. We opened Wakefield up, we were in front, and then there were a couple of key areas that we can’t seem to claw our way back from, and then that just unravels.

“We haven’t got the strength or the quality in the group that can handle that. If you look at Wakefield, you look at what they’ve got and the quality of the players that have got in there, and we’re not that team. We’re just not that team, if I’m being brutally honest.

“We have to work hard and we have to be disciplined and tidy with our game, and things going our way, but to not touch the ball for 15, 20 minutes of a second half, it’s unheard of.

“At one point there, it was 13 sets to three, and what it does to your energy and to the team, there’s no coming back from that.”

Catalans will fly back to France but return to England soon after as they play York Knights next week and asked about the importance of bouncing back, Sheridan admitted that it’s imperative to perform.

“If we get the team that started this first half, that competed and was playing the way that we wanted it to play, and was defending well, and was working hard for each other, if we get that team, then we can obviously get some consistency around what we do, and then we’ll be a chance.

“Until we get that or get some consistency in our game, every game’s going to be tough.”