The final game of the opening weekend of the Super Eights saw Widnes Vikings travel to a sweltering south of France to take on the Catalans Dragons. The Dragons needed a win to keep in touch with the Saints after their win on Thursday night.

Anything other than a win for Widnes would see them facing an impossible task to reach the top four.

After looking nailed on for a top four finish earlier in the season the Dragons were now up against it, but the Vikings had never won in Perpignan.

Viking Corey Thompson had a fourth minute try ruled out for a knock-on and it took twenty minutes to see the first points registered. They try, when it came was a spectacular ninety metre Jodie Broughton run and dove for the corner, despite the best attempts of Joe Mellor. Thomas Bosc failed to convert from the touchline.

On twenty-four a Bosc high kick was fumbled at full stretch by Corey Thompson and left in goal to be touched down by the chasing Justin Horo. This time Bosc kicked the extra two for 10-0.

The Vikings got over the line a couple of times in the ten up to half-time but failed to successfully ground the ball as the Dragons defence held firm guarding their ten point lead to the interval.

Catalans continued to fade at the start of the second half as Widnes took the game into their half. On forty-seven a great kick from Kevin Brown was collected and grounded in goal by Matt Whiteley. Lloyd White added the extras from the touchline to put Widnes right back in the game.

The hope lasted two minutes as on forty-nine Fouad Yaha was at the end of a long passing line to ground one-handed as he dove in at the corner. Bosc converted brilliantly from the touchline for 16-6.

On fifty-seven the game looked like it was in the bag for the Dragons when a delightful kick to the corner from Thomas Bosc was collected by Yaha who grounded in the corner for his second of the afternoon. Bosc again converted from the touchline for 22-6.

Yaha got his hat-trick on sixty-seven when he took a Vincent Duport flick pass to dive in at the corner. Todd Carney missed the conversion but a twenty point lead would be more than enough to take the all-important two points.

Patrick Ah Van got a seventy-third minute consolation off a long Kevin Brown pass but White missed the conversion attempt leaving his side 26-10 behind.

It was a game played under testing conditions for both sides who looked increasingly tired as the game wore on. Catalans did just enough for a comfortable victory to keep their top four hopes alive and it was always going to be an uphill struggle for the Vikings who will now try and influence what happens above them while having little chance of making the play offs.

Dragons: Gigot, Broughton (T), Garcia, Duport, Yaha (3T), Carney, Bosc (3G), Taylor, Pelissier, Casty, Stewart, Horo (T), Baitieri. Subs: Anderson, Bousquet, Aiton, Mounis.

Vikings: Hanbury, Thompson, Runciman, Marsh, Ah Van (T), Brown, Mellor, Burke, White (G), Buchanan, Dean, Houston, Cahill. Subs: Manuokafoa, Leuluai, Whiteley (T), Heremaia.

Referee: Robert Hicks.

Attendance: