Joel Tomkins picks his standout Catalans Dragons from the season so far following victory over Huddersfield Giants

Catalans Dragons interim boss Joel Tomkins has named which player he thinks has been the Dragons’ most underrated player so far in 2025, following their victory over Huddersfield Giants on Saturday.

It’s been a tough season for Catalans, considering the experience and quality their squad has, but something’s not quite clicked just yet.

A victory over the Giants is a step in the right direction, but Tomkins knows that it’s how they build on that that’s important.

Speaking to the media after the win, he said: “I just spoke to the players in the changing room and said tonight’s a reward for the effort that they’ve put in for the last four weeks, not just last week.

“You know, it’s hurt us all, the results, going to Hull KR and losing by that scoreline. It hurts us as much as anybody. We were embarrassed and we’ve worked relaly, really hard.

“Tonight, I thought we got what we deserved. We just had energy, in the heat, the young players, the outside backs Leo Darrelatour and Clement Martin, they just gave us energy. They were outstanding, but not just those two.”

The interim Catalans Dragons coach was proud of the performance but said they have a tough challenge up next week, with a trip to Wakefield Trinity.

He added: “We’ve been through a tough time, and one win doesn’t change everything. We’ve got to back it up next week against Wakefield, so we have to come in on Monday, ready to train again, because that’s a challenge. It’s a good start for us, a good platform.

“It gives us confidence that if we turn up and we play the way we played tonight, we can challenge anybody.”

Interim boss Tomkins praises most underrated Catalans Dragons player of the season

Tomkins also wanted to point out one player who’s gone under the radar for most of the season, but has quietly been putting in the work, both on and off the field.

He finished: “One guy I want to pick out for praise, he doesn’t get any plaudits, he doesn’t really get named in the paper or anything like that, is Ollie Partnington.

“From round one to tonight, he plays pretty much eighty minutes every week. He tops the tackle count every week. He never complains, he doesn’t miss training sessions, he plays injured, he plays hurt, and he’s a joy to coach.

“He’s an outstanding player and I think he deserves a bit of credit because he’s one player who’s been outstanding every single week for us this year.”