Catalans Dragons have been busy

It seems every day for the last few weeks there has been a story about Catalans Dragons in the press. They have certainly been busy rebuilding their squad for 2016.

My concern for the Dragons is that they are losing some quality players and I don’t think their replacements are going to be of similar quality.

To lose one high-class second rower, with Elliot Whitehead moving to Canberra Raiders next year, is bad enough, but to then lose his partner in crime and without doubt one of their standout players this year, Zeb Taia, to the Gold Coast Titans is a disaster.

Add that Benjamin Garcia, an outstanding young French back rower, is also heading to the NRL, with Penrith Panthers, and there are some big boots to fill.

I’m not sure that there replacements – former one-time Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative Dave Taylor, who has signed from Gold Coast Titans, and Justin Horo, from Manly Sea Eagles – are up to the job of replacing Whitehead and Taia.

Taylor is a big unit at 6’2” and over 19 stone, and on his day the ‘Coal Train’ can be rampant and damaging, but his form over the last two years has been patchy and he has been dropped from first grade recently, while Horo is a solid player at best.

The loss of Scott Dureau and Ian Henderson will hit the Dragons just as hard, and while the signing of Leeds Rhinos’ Papua New Guinea international hooker Paul Aiton should fill the gap left by Henderson – Aiton turned down a new deal with the Rhinos to head to the South of France – Richie Myler is not in the same league as Dureau.

Myler is another one who can be devastating when he is on form, but he has been dropped numerous times by Warrington Wolves since being signed as the most expensive teenager in the world for £200,000 from Salford for the start of the 2010 season. He has not been selected for an international squad since 2012. He has immense talent but needs to be more consistent, and the Dragons will be hoping that a fully fit Todd Carney can form an effective partnership with the enigmatic Myler.

Former Wigan wingman Pat Richards has signed from Wests Tigers and while he has been outstanding on his return to the NRL he will be 34 by the start of the 2016 season. He may replace Michael Oldfield, who has been looking at the possibility of returning to the NRL himself.

Ddd young powerhouse Gadwin Springer to the departures list, after he joined Castleford Tigers earlier this year.

They have extended the contract of three-quarter Tony Gigot, who has been a standout performer this year, and have awarded full-time contracts to academy players Lucas Albert and Fouad Yaha – both have made their Super League debuts this year and Yaha, in particular, impressed before a shoulder injury ruled him out for the season.

One interesting question is whether they will keep hold of former New Zealand international Krisnan Inu beyond the end of this season. Inu signed a short-term deal from French rugby union a couple of months ago and has been outstanding. The Dragons squad will be a lot stronger if he is in it.

So, it has been a busy time at the Dragons in the last few weeks and they will have an overhauled squad in 2016 – but how will they perform?