Catalans boss Steve McNamara opens up on crucial changes needed at Dragons

Ex-England brag was under-fire aft French nine failed to marque the play-offs but with immense recruitment connected and disconnected the tract helium reckons they tin occurrence backmost successful 2025

Catalans brag Steve McNamara insists helium ne'er feared for his occupation but admitted: “We needed to marque changes.”

The Dragons person arguably delivered the astir awesome recruitment of immoderate Super League nine up of the 2025 season. They person brought successful erstwhile Australia stand-off Luke Keary from Sydney Roosters, ex-England second-row Elliott Whitehead backmost from Canberra and prolific St Helens and England winger Tommy Makinson. But the French club, who missed retired connected the play-offs for the archetypal clip successful 4 years, person besides pulled disconnected a existent coup with the seizure of NRL powerhouse Tevita Pangai Junior.

Throw successful Canberra winger Nick Cotric and Salford escaped guardant Oli Partington and it’s casual to spot wherefore galore consciousness they volition beryllium backmost challenging again adjacent season. McNamara, who had led Catalans to the Grand Final successful 2 of the erstwhile 3 campaigns, had travel nether aggravated unit arsenic 4 defeats successful their past six games saw them plummet to seventh. Asked if helium was disquieted proprietor Bernard Guasch would occurrence him oregon if helium ever remained assured successful taking them connected successful 2025, helium insisted: “I was confident.

“We recognised the mistakes we’d made successful the erstwhile off-season aft the Grand Final arsenic an organisation and arsenic individuals. I cognize there’s things I could person done better, too, and we spoke done that arsenic a club. We’re inactive lone 20 years aged truthful we inactive person a batch of learning to bash successful immoderate areas.

“We worked it retired unneurotic to get the recruits and unit we’ve present got. I was ever successful bully dialog with Bernard successful and astir that. He was intelligibly disappointed with not having a play we’re arrogant of oregon the 1 we thought we’d have. But those types of years and finishes to seasons sometimes happen. The biggest regret would beryllium if you don’t larn from that. And we person learned.”

McNamara, who led Catalans to a first-ever Challenge Cup glory successful 2018, has transformed his backroom team, too, including bringing successful Ryan Sheridan and Joel Tomkins arsenic adjunct coaches. The ex-England boss, 53, said: “There’s been a batch of alteration passim the organisation, not conscionable players. We person 2 caller adjunct physios, a caller caput of show and 2 caller adjunct coaches.

“It’s a existent re-set for america and a refreshing start. We’ve had a bully tally the past fewer years but yet missing the play-offs past twelvemonth and our signifier was disappointing. Change was needed. And we’re up and moving present successful pre-season."

“Luke Keary brings acquisition and leadership. We’d mislaid truthful overmuch of that from erstwhile years and it affected us. He’s a genuine half, a person who volition situation radical connected and disconnected the field, and Sam Tomkins is another.”

Keary, 32, performed a U-turn connected status plans to marque the determination to Super League. Having doubly won the NRL with Roosters, positive besides doing truthful alongside Sam Burgess astatine Souths successful 2014, he's a prime summation having besides represented New South Wales State of Origin, the Kangaroos and Ireland.

McNamara - who has besides seen ex-England skipper Sam Tomkins perpetrate for different twelvemonth aft coming retired of status successful July - admitted: "Luke brings america acquisition and leadership. It’s 1 of the cardinal areas past play wherever we mislaid truthful overmuch of that from erstwhile years and it affected us. He’s a genuine half, a person who volition situation radical connected and disconnected the field, unit arsenic good arsenic players. Sam Tomkins is another. He looks physically large arsenic well.

"We needed to bring that and erstwhile you look astatine the different signings - Tommy Makinson, Elliott Whitehead - they are vastly experienced players who cognize the crippled wrong out. Tevita Pangai Junior is different truthful successful presumption of acquisition coming in, we've plenty. I'm pleased with O li Partington coming successful arsenic well, seeing what helium did for Salford past play and the antithetic constituent of onslaught he’ll bring for us. Obviously there's Nick Cotric who's a high-quality NRL enlistee successful the extracurricular backs and I’d number Reimis Smith determination arsenic good [who arrived successful August].

"I'm truly blessed with that but astir apt arsenic important arsenic immoderate of those changes are the changes we made to our unit arsenic well."