Two sides who are happy to forget poor 2024 seasons met in the opening round in the south of France as the Catalans Dragons sought a winning start to their campaign against the re-structured Hull FC who needed a much brighter 2025 to pacify their passionate supporters.
It was an almost unrecognisable Hull FC side, and the bookies had some belief that they may put on a good show in Perpignan as they only gave them a very respectful ten point start on the handicap coupon.
Both sides picked up wins last week in the Challenge Cup, the Dragons unconvincing in a 14-0 win over Halifax Panthers, FC getting a confidence boost in their 52-6 win over York Acorn.
Defences were in charge in the opening exchanges in a nervy start from both sides.
FC hit the front on twenty-five when Jordan Lane was the fastest to react to a bouncing ball in the Dragons goal area after a grubber was knocked on by Arthur Mourgue on his goal line. Aidan Sezer added the conversion for a 6-0 lead, a little against the run of early play.
On thirty-two, following good Dragons pressure, Tommy Makinson pounced on a Mourgue grubber to the corner but spilled the ball in the act of grounding. The FC defence breathed a collective sigh of relief.
On thirty-six the Airlie Birds turned defence into attack as they broke down the left wing with Cade Cust taking a pass from Lewis Martin and going over the top of his tackler to ground. Sezer was on target for the second time, this one from close to the touchline, for a 12-0 lead.
Thirty seconds from the break and FC extended the lead further. A Hull pass saw an attempted intercept, but the ball went back into FC hands to be worked downfield, Tom Briscoe the man on hand to score in the left corner. Sezer added the conversion and the Black and Whites had a stunning and deserved 18-0 interval lead.
Four minutes after the restart Mourgue picked up a Tommy Makinson kick through and dotted the ball down to get the Dragons first points of the Super League season. Mourgue was unable to add the extras, Catalans still needing three scores.
On fifty-five the Hull defence tried to shepherd dead a Mourgue grubber into the goal area, Makinson getting a hand on the ball but the video referee adjudged that it was a knock-on in the act of scoring.
Just as it looked as though the tide was turning in the Dragons favour, FC hit a hammer blow as Cust picked up a loose Catalans pass and sprinted forty metres to score in the corner under the tackle of a chasing Makinson. The Sezer conversion went wide of the uprights, but it was now a long way back for the home side.
A Sezer penalty goal extended the lead to twenty points, the two points safely in the suitcase for the return trip.
This was a fantastic performance from Hull FC. Whether it is the dawn of a new era for the sleeping Hull giant is another matter, but the signs are good on this first outing of the 2025 season. The Dragons had some good early pressure but the FC defence withstood the onslaught and served as a good platform for the Airlie Birds to build a lead and then shut out the home side. There is a long way to go, but on this early showing the signs are good.
Catalans Dragons: Mourgue (T, G 0/1), Cotric, Romano, Sironen, Makinson, Keary, Rouge, Satae, Garcia, Navarrete, Sims, Whitehead, Partington. Subs: Pangai, Bousquet, Da Costa, Seguier. 18th Man: Dezaria.
Hull FC: Rapana, Barron, Hardaker, Briscoe (T), Martin, Cust (2T), Sezer (G 4/5), Ese’ese, Bourouh, Aydin, Cartwright, Lane (T), Asiata. Subs: Sao, Ashworth, Fash, Balmforth. 18th Man: Salabio.
Half-Time: 0-18.
Full-Time: 4-24.
Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, 0-10, 0-12, 0-16, 0-18 : HT: 4-18, 4-22, 4-24 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Hull FC.
Referee: Chris Kendall.
