Super 8s: David Mead scores four tries as Catalans Dragons beat Huddersfield 22-12

Catalans Dragons winger David Mead ran in four second-half tries to help his side come from 12-0 down at half-time to beat Huddersfield in Perpignan.

The Giants scored twice inside the first 20 minutes with 18-year-old twins Louis and Innes Senior both crossing.

Centre Louis was first to score, to register his first try in Super League, before his brother went in too.

But Mead replied with two in 11 second-half minutes, before adding two more, with Lucas Albert kicking three goals.

It was a fifth successive defeat for the Giants in the last-ever Super 8s game, ahead of next week's two big St Helens-Warrington and Wigan-Castleford play-off semi-finals on Thursday and Friday.

It was also marred by three sinbinnings - for Lambert Belmas for a dangerous tackle, then for Australian veteran Ryan Hinchcliffe, who in his final appearance before retirement went to the bin with Catalans prop Mickael Simon following a brawl.

The Giants looked in control at the Stade Gilbert Brutus after such a bright start, when Danny Brough added the kick to the first of the Senior twins' tries.

Brough failed with the second conversion, but found his range again with a penalty to give the Giants their 12-point half-time advantage.

However, it all turned around after the break as the Mead-inspired Dragons roared back to finish their season with a second straight win.

Steve McNamara's men had suffered a post-Wembley hangover, having not won in three games prior to last weekend's victory at Hull. But this was their second win over the Giants this season, Mead having also scored in the Challenge Cup quarter-final victory in June.

Catalans coach Steve McNamara:

"For me, it's quite an emotional night. This is the last time that this group will be together.

"What they've achieved this year is historic and will go down in history within rugby league. They've done it through hard work and I'm so proud of them.

"David Mead came up with the four tries that we scored. He's got really good, natural instincts. And Greg Bird's tackle just before we started scoring our points was perhaps a major turning point.

"I thought at half-time that, with us being 12-0 down, we would probably get some points but to do it in the manner that they did . . . "

Huddersfield head coach Simon Woolford:

"I've said all along that there are a lot of good players over here. The adjudication of the sport over here is where the main differences are.

"The days of one referee are numbered. I think they are looking at a two-referee system next year. Things like offside and things that happen in the ruck will be more heavily scrutinised.

"It's really hard for one referee to have a handle on. Both sides got away with being offside quite often and it was frustrating from our point of view.

"Credit to Catalans. When they got down our end they put on some points. Josh Drinkwater's kicking game was outstanding again and caught us out of position a couple of times. They were a little bit more composed and they took their opportunities whereas we were quite the opposite."

Catalans: Albert; Mead, Jullien, Langi, Wiliame; Bird, Drinkwater; Simon, McIlorum, Moa, Casty, Goudemand, Baitieri.

Interchange: L Anderson, Maria, Da Costa, Belmas.

Sin bin: Belmas (55), Simon (65).

Huddersfield: Gaskell; McGillvary, L Senior, Mamo, I Senior; Russell, Brough;, Clough, O'Brien, Matagi, Roberts, Mellor, Hinchcliffe.

Interchange: Leeming, Lawrence, Roche, English.

Sin bin: Hinchcliffe (65)

Attendance: 7,304.

Referee: Gary Dolan.