KEVIN WALTERS is in his second year as head coach of Catalans Dragons after that encouraging finish to the 2009 campaign.

The Australian is one of a trio of famous rugby league brothers, with Kevin having represented Queensland and the Kangaroos during an illustrious career.

He first came to public notice while at Canberra Raiders, but it was during a decade at Brisbane Broncos that Walters established his credentials.

CATALANS Dragons seem to make a habit of starting their season slowly.

Last year, they lost six of their opening seven top-flight fixtures, and this time around they have won just two out of eight.

But may be that’s the way head coach Kevin Walter has planned it!

After making such a miserable start to 2009, Walters timed the Dragons’ charge to perfection, with the Frenchmen hitting great form at the most important stage of the year.

After sneaking into the play-offs, courtesy of a win at St Helens on the final day of the regular Super League season, they opened with a win at Wakefield before defeating the Giants 16-6 at the Galpharm.

Although they eventually fell to Super League Grand Final winners Leeds Rhinos, that late play-off charge showed they can never be taken for granted, and that’s something Huddersfield will do well to remember tonight.

IT’S probably no real coincidence the Dragons’ shaky start to the season has been at a time when influential half-back Thomas Bosc has been sitting on the sidelines.

The 26-year-old French international has been at the very heart of Catalans’ success for several Super League seasons, but a pre-season injury meant he missed his side’s opening seven games of the campaign.

But he returned to action for the first time last weekend and made all the difference in the world as Catalans chalked up just their second victory of the year, a 16-10 home triumph over Hull KR.

The fact no-one was surprised he made such an immediate impact clearly underlined his importance to the team, and he is again expected to be a key player for the Dragons in 2010.

GIANTS: B Hodgson, Cudjoe, Lolesi, Whatuira, D Hodgson, Brown, Robinson, Crabtree, Lunt, Mason, Gilmour, Raleigh, Griffin, Faiumu, Grix, Aspinwall, Walker, Horne, Brough.

DRAGONS: Bell, Pelo, Bosc, Ferriol, McGuire, Guisset, Mounis, Johnson, Gossard, Carlaw, Touxagas, Bentley, Martins, Fakir, Casty, Gigot, Stacul, Simon, Vaccari.

REFEREE: Steve Ganson.