By Mark Orlovac

Perpignan is a a holiday town so we're hoping sides come over and have a holiday for the weekend Dragons assistant coach Paul Donkin

Catalans Dragons assistant coach Paul Donkin says home form will be vital to their chances of Super League success.

Donkin says the intense summer heat could make visits to their home grounds in Perpignan, Narbonne and Figueres in northern Spain a daunting prospect.

The French side make their Super League debut against Wigan on Saturday and are setting their sights on a famous win.

"Making our home a fortress is going to be important for us, especially in the summer," he told BBC Sport.

"The English clubs may suffer a little due to the difference in climate and we have to capitalise on that.

"Perpignan is a holiday town so we're hoping sides come over and have a holiday for the weekend. They can concentrate on the girls, we'll concentrate on the football."

The Dragons are the first French team to play in Super League since Paris St Germain's failed adventure in 1996 and 1997.

The Paris St Germain team collapsed amid crippling indifference in the rugby union-dominated capital.

"This club is totally different to Paris - the authorities have learnt from their mistakes," said Donkin.

"This is not a quick fix and them saying 'let's put rugby league in France and see how it goes'. This has had a lot of thought gone into it."

To ease the Dragons' transition into Super League, the club will be exempt from relegation for their first three years.

"We would have liked four years but three gives us the chance of being a force," said Donkin.

Stacey Jones will be a vital guiding hand in the Dragons' first season

"This club have started from the bottom: we have had to crawl before we can walk, and walk before we could run. We are going to need three years."

Les Catalans will draw heavily from local talent in the rugby league heartland of southern France as well as established stars like Stacey Jones.

And Donkin said a successful Dragons side was crucial for the development of the sport's international profile.

"This is a dramatic decision to have a Super League club in France," said Donkin.

"As an Aussie, until I left the country I didn't realise how arrogant and stupid we are about our game.

"We love the game but we don't want to share anything with the rest of the world.

"This is a massive thing for the game. It can work, there is so much untapped talent here. If we build a strong French flavoured club the kids will come."

After years of planning, the Dragons open up against Wigan on Saturday, and Donkin is delighted his side will be able to test themselves against one of biggest names in rugby league.

"It is probably the best start we could have hoped for," he added.

"Wigan are a side with so much tradition and so many great players so we just want to get out there. It is a good reality check for our guys to see how well we are doing."