GAME ON : Warrington Wolves v Catalan Dragons - 19:45:00

GENERAL CHAT ABOUT THE GAME, BUILD UP, THE ACTION AS IT HAPPENS AND AFTERMATH BELOW.

Hopefully not a prelude to the Challenge Cup final.

I hope it was.

I doubt Catalans will have 3 teenage debutants in the Challenge Cup final.

Catalans team against Warrington:

[i Brochon; Thornley, Mead, Duport, Martin; Mourgue, Albert; Simon, Da Costa, Maria, Perez, Goudemand, Baitieri.[/i [uInterchange[/u: Garcia, Casty, Margalet, Belmas


Missing: [iAntoine Gigot, Lewis Tierney, Brayden Williame, Fouad Yaha, Samisoni Langi, Joshua Drinkwater, Juien Bousquet, Michael McIlorum, Samuel Moa, Louis Anderson, Benjamin Jullien, Kenneth Edwards.
[/i

That means 12 first choice players, who played against St Helens, were missing, along with suspended Gregory Bird.

Thus the result on Friday August 10 has no bearing on what will happen in the CC Final on Saturday August 25.

A very strong Dragons team there, could be intimidating for the Cheshire cats.

Don't think they are interesting in going for top 4 anymore, its all about the Challenge Cup, I would imagine they will select a weakened team for the away games and a stronger team for the home games from now on.

You can't blame Catalans really. Theirs is now a one game season.

Agreed up to the Cup Final. After that I think they'll go all out to end the season on a high note, win or lose at Wembley.

Really? I think they'll revert to type and just toss it off.

They might very well win the cup first, mind.

When we won the Cup in 2009 we were awful in Super League and trailed home 10th when I think 8th was required for the play offs. Tony Smith came in when we had lost a few games at the start, and obviously targeted the Cup. As a result we won our first trophy in 18 years and our first major trophy since the 70s, so I don't remember any of us complaining!

McNamara will think the same now. They made the eight, so they can't get relegated, but they're also very unlikely to make the top four even if they win every game. From their remaining seven games, their season will be a million times more memorable if they lose six and win one, with the one being at Wembley, than it will be if they win their six SL games but lose the big one.

With that in mind it's all well and good giving the usual token soundbites about respecting the competition, being fair to the other clubs etc, but in reality doing anything other than putting all his eggs in one basket would be completely against the interests of his own club and utterly negligent.

On saying all that though, I obviously hope they don't win at Wembley...