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John Cartwright has labelled his Catalans Dragons side as ‘just not good enough’ with the French outfit beaten handily once again after a disastrous first half. Catalans trailed 36-0 at the break against Huddersfield and whilst they would improve in the second half, they still lost 42-20 as they slipped to yet another defeat in yet another sub-par performance. The first half was among the worst of any team in Super League in 2026 and when asked post-match how to assess such a game given the difference in effort and performance from one half to another, Cartwright admitted that it was a ‘tough question’. “The game’s played over 80 minutes, and we have too many of those patches in our games where we give up so many points and it just makes it impossible,” he told Sky Sports. “They showed some fight in the second half, but it’s just not good enough.” With Catalans now comfortably adrift in eighth, he admitted: “I’ve said for the last few weeks that there’s a big gap between the top six and the rest of us. The rest of us are just fighting, and on your day you’ll win your games, and that’s not where we want to be as a club.” Super League’s IMG nightmare, Hull FC hit new lows, and League Leaders Shield debate – click here to watch the latest episode of the Serious About Rugby League Show Catalans Dragons players challenged on personal pride after dismal showing That position leaves them little to fight for in terms of league table but Cartwright was insistent that there was plenty more in other aspects, be in contracts, the badge, or even just something as simple as personal pride. Asked what the next five games are about, he said: “It’s just playing for a bit of personal pride is the main thing. I think a lot of clubs are going through a period now where players are coming and going, and players are off contract and don’t have anywhere to go. It’s a tough period for sides that aren’t fighting for the six. “At the end of the day, you’ve got a big mirror in your hallway, and you’ve got to look at it, and you’ve got to try and beat the bloke in front of you. That’s our message and has been for the last couple of weeks. “It’s sinking in here and there, but it’s a big part of being a professional footballer is turning up and playing with you heart every week and we’re just getting it in patches.” One player who acted unprofessionally was Franck Maria as he went and landed a horrible shoulder charge to the head of George King, seemingly in response to King’s accidental tackle that injured Hugo Cellier. Sent off for the offence, Cartwright was asked for his verdict but explained he couldn’t offer much due to poor replays. “The footage is not clear,” he said, adding: “It was grainy at best. I’m hoping first contact was around shoulder. I know you boys probably had a better view of it than me. Frank plays tough. He plays with intent. It could have had a tackle that went wrong.” As for his own future, Cartwright again affirmed that he has signed a new deal, though that hasn’t been officially confirmed, and he admitted that the upcoming months will be focused on building a squad that can return the Dragons to the top six. “I’ve agreed for the next couple of years, so that’s where my focus is being. It’s retaining and doing a lot of work in recruitment, because we’ve got a fair bit of work to do.” 3/3 for Lenihan’s men, get in! 🙌#GiantsUnleashed | @BondItUK 🤝 pic.twitter.com/GgjXoaWLxn — Huddersfield Giants 🐮🔔 (@Giantsrl) August 8, 2026