By STEVE MASCORD
CATALANS’ plans for their 20th anniversary celebrations this year – highlighted by a clash with Wigan in Paris – mean more pressure for the coaches and players, Joel Tomkins has admitted.
The club is putting together a TV documentary and will be making its boldest move into the national French market when the Dragons take on Tomkins’ former club at Stade Jean Bouin on June 6.
“Definitely – there’s definitely extra pressure on us, I would say,” Tomkins tells rugbyleaguehub.com Long Reads.
“You know, the game in in Paris, if you compare it to the last time they played a similar fixture … they played in Barcelona against Wigan (in 2019) and got a win and it was a huge crowd at the Nou Camp.
“So there’s definitely some pressure there on us.
“Mate, it’s special. That Paris game, I’m sure it will feel like a final. You’ll have all the Wigan fans travelling down from there and our supporters travelling up from Perpignan.
“In the 20th year of the club, I feel very privileged to be leading this group into this special year.”
CEO Sebastien Munoz enthused: “Paris, I think, is a good opportunity for the club and for Super League.
“It’s 20 years for the club and 30 for Super League. The first game was Sheffield-PSG … in Paris!
“I was at the stadium. I went to see Sheffield PSG at Charlety. I remember! I was a student. I think Super League will help for this event.”
But Tomkins insisted the coaches and players – led by a new halves combination of Lewis Dodd and Toby Sexton – were taking the added focus on them as a positive.
“As a group we’re going to put some pressure on ourselves anyway,” said the man who took over from Steve McNamara as caretaker last season.
“We’re fairly confident in the group that we’ve got that we’re going to be competitive and we’re going to be successful.
“Whatever that looks like, we’re not sure yet.
“But one thing we want to be is, we want to be competitive and we’ll put that pressure on ourselves.
“As far as external pressure, I think it’s natural. In the 20th year there’s going to be a few extra events and there’s going to be a few more engagements for the players outside of rugby.”
Image: Allan McKenzie/SWpix