Though we can look ahead to huge games as Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves collide, Leeds Rhinos and Hull KR set to meet and Hull FC and Castleford Tigers set to meet on Saturday, we may have just seen the game of the season.
Catalans Dragons edged a brilliant contest against Super League and World Champions St Helens.
The French side went into the game top of the league with St Helens third with Leigh Leopards sandwiched between the two.
The win for Catalans opens up a six point gap between them and the Saints so it was a vital win.
It became clear that this game would be one of the matches of the season early on when the first 10 minutes ticked by without an error. It was blow for blow but the Dragons had the better of the ruck and that translated to a two point lead via a Adam Keighran penalty.
The Dragons would then add to their lead when the Saints pressed and kicked crossfield with Keighran claiming the kick and setting Tom Johnstone away to run the length of the field to make it 8-0.
Then the controversial spell of the game as Saints received a number of penalties as they turned the screw against the Dragons and eventually Mark Percival was well placed to claim a lovely grubber kick to make it 8-6.
The Dragons could have re-established their lead with another try as they broke clear but Sam Tomkins was left frustrated when an offload was given as forward.
However, the Dragons would get themselves further ahead in the second half when a lovely set play put Matt Ikuvalu in at the corner as he saw off some cover defence to go in at the corner.
It would then be a case of scrambling defence from the Dragons as they tried to hold out. Will Hopoate went close but in the end it was Lewis Dodd who went over at the end of a lovely passing move to set up a grand stand finish.
In the end though Catalans clung on to a brilliant win.
It was a great game but a difficult one for the officials as you would expect in a fiery affair.
There were some big 50/50 calls and both sides will feel aggrieved by some.
At halftime, Jon Wilkin claimed that Steve McNamara would be “unhappy with the officials” after he felt Saints got “lucky” with some “tough calls” against the Dragons whilst Jenna Brooks revealed that McNamara was “angry” at the break and spoke to the match commissioner.
At the end though it was St Helens unhappy with Bill Arthur claiming Saints fans were booing off the officials at the end.
They likely felt like they should have had a penalty at the end for a strip from Romain Navarrete.
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