Crusaders shrug off Gareth Thomas injury to overcome Catalans Dragons

If Gareth Thomas was under any illusions about the physical demands of life in Super League, they will have evaporated by the time he was assisted from the field half an hour into his debut. The decorated former Welsh rugby union captain was visibly shaken after his much anticipated bow ended prematurely but said he will be back for more as his new side recorded a creditable third win of the season. Taking on the challenges of a new sport at the age of 35, with two weeks of training, was always going to be a significant ask of the man affectionately known as "Alfie" in Wales. But even he may have been taken aback by the ferocity of his welcome to the sport, as Catalans Dragons provided bruising opponents for his introduction to the 13-man code. Two heavy collisions to his head during his 30-minute spell led to Thomas's early departure but it has not deterred him in his new career. "I spoke to Brian and Iestyn [Harris] in the week and really wanted to get in and make a minimum of 15 to 20 carries," Thomas said. "I'm disappointed for myself but I have to get over that because it's all about the team being successful. What happened to me could have happened in my first game or my 100th. I took two knocks to the head but it's a contact sport. I'll look at the video and take a lot from the game." Thomas had his hands on the ball within the first 10 seconds, only to lose possession after finding himself the subject of a four-man tackle that left him requiring brief treatment. Any thoughts that the French might target him thereafter were unfounded as they failed to kick to his wing but Thomas still carried the ball five more times, four of them from dummy half, before being helped from the field. By that stage his side were 6-0 ahead through Jason Chan's eighth-minute try and they extended that advantage when Michael Witt struck a penalty moments after Thomas's exit. Catalans responded after the break through Olivier Elima but Peter Lupton's late try from close range, awarded after being given the benefit of the doubt in a ruling by the video referee Ian Smith, was enough to ensure a Crusaders victory that remarkably leaves them level on points with the champions, Leeds. What contribution Thomas makes to their fortunes this year remains to be seen but Brian Noble is confident he will recover quickly and could even feature against Castleford on Friday. "I said to him 'welcome to rugby league' and you probably couldn't print his reply," Noble said. "To do what he's done in that space of time is a fabulous effort but you don't get a template for what it's like until you're out there with angry men telling you that you've made the wrong decision. "He got a couple of bangs and he's going to have to learn fast. He's got a bit of a headache and the doctors said he shouldn't go back out there. "He got a crack in the first few seconds and had double vision for the first 20-25 minutes, but the indicators were there that he didn't want to come off. He got his second bang then, and we'll have to teach him a few nuances of how to protect himself in the tackle." Crusaders : Kear; Thomas, Martin, Mellars, Dyer; Lupton, Witt; O'Hara, Withers, Bryant, Chan, Hauraki, Trimarchi. Interchange : Thackray, Flower, Youngquest, Winterstein Tries : Chan, Lupton Goals : Witt 3 Catalans Dragons: Walker; Bell, Raguin, Pelo, Stacul; Sa, McGuire, Ferriol, Bentley, Carlaw, Elima, Gossard, Johnson. Interchange : Guisset, Mounis, Fakir, Gigot Tries : Elima Goals : Mounis Referee : T Alibert (France) Attendance : 6,124