Catalans Dragons vs Huddersfield Giants Prediction: Giants to get the better of calamity Catalans

Calamity Catalans Dragons host ever-improving Huddersfield Giants at the Stade Gilbert Brutus on Saturday, with what feels like a very important two Betfred Super League points up for grabs. (Kick-off 17:30)

The Giants are second bottom but should have beaten champions Wigan two weeks ago and did win at Warrington last week, while the Dragons have not resembled anything like a professional rugby league team since the departure of long-serving head coach Steve McNamara. Read on for my Catalans Dragons vs Huddersfield Giants predictions.

Catalans Dragons vs Huddersfield Giants Odds

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Interim Catalans boss Joel Tomkins remains without a win in his first four games in charge and is only able to muster a 19-man squad this week due to injuries and suspensions.

I would expect to see a Catalans debut for hooker Denive Balmforth - a talented player who really caught my eye last season - but there is a growing list of big-name absentees elsewhere.

Suspension rules out prop Chris Satae and captain Ben Garcia, while injury deprives the Dragons of Arthur Romano, Matthieu Lagueree, Theo Fages, Reimis Smith and Tariq Sims.

Huddersfield head to France having found some real form in the last few weeks and head coach Luke Robinson makes two changes to a 21-man squad.

Sam Hewitt failed a head injury assessment in the win at Warrington so will stay at home, while Oliver Wilson has a minor injury.

Into the squad come Aidan McGowan and Fenton Rogers. New signing Matt Frawley keeps his place after a successful debut last weekend.

Matchwinner: Huddersfield Giants @ 6/4

here was a small improvement - on the scoreboard at least - for the Dragons last week but still another defeat, as Leigh won by 14 points at the once hostile Stade Gilbert Brutus.

A ground that once struck fear into visiting Super League teams has this season had the welcome mat well and truly out, and this feels like a very good opportunity for the Giants to grab just their third win of the season.

Catalans have lost their last three home games in a row, with an accumulative score of 12-108. In two of those games - against Hull FC and Wigan - they failed to score a single point, with last week's loss to Leigh finally seeing them muster a couple of tries.

You look at the Dragons team and the likes of Sam Tomkins and Tommy Makinson and feel that surely it has to come right at some point. But having sat through all of their recent games as I have, I just don't see a team playing as a team.

I don't know what the solution is, but I do know this is a great chance for Huddersfield to defy the odds if they can cope with the heat.

I'm going to call an away win in this one.

Matt Frawley anytime tryscorer @ 9/2

New signing Matt Frawley went straight into the Giants side last weekend after arriving from Leeds, and partnered another former Rhino Tui Lolohea in the halves as Huddersfield won away to a Warrington side boasting Lance Todd trophy winner Marc Sneyd and England captain George Williams as their half-back pairing.

Frawley lost his place at Leeds after the arrival of Jake Connor alongside Brodie Croft in the halves but I always felt he was pretty harshly treated by fans who seemed to blame him for a lot of the team's toils.

The Australian can be a real threat on the break and is a great support player, and if Huddersfield are able to carve through a Dragons defence that has been shipping dozens of points per match, then a 9/2 Frawley try on the break is a pretty tempting punt.

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