SAINTS' chances of making the top four will now depend on an unlikely collapse from the teams above them after their fourth consecutive defeat.

They had chances early on to put an under-strength Catalans to bed.

And their failure to do so allowed the French outfit, missing a host of star men, to grow in confidence with Saints wilting under the strain of their own absentees.

They lost full back Jonny Lomax in the warm up and were further hampered by scrum half Theo Fages' departure at half time.

But after starting brightly and aggressively, Saints appeared to go deeper and deeper into their shells as the errors, injuries and penalties against them mounted.

They were still very much in it at 13-10, seven minutes after the break, but a brace of tries in two minutes from Morgan Escare and Jodie Broughton put the Dragons out of sight at 21-10.

It could have been so different, but alas it was the same old story of bombed chances and poor execution which let the Dragons off the hook and allowed them to respond clinically and hit back with interest.

Dragons scored first with a Pat Richards penalty but Saints were first to cross the whitewash when Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook ran into the hole to take a bullet pass from Jordan Turner to put them ahead, with Jack Owens converting.

Saints had good field position but their failure to come away from the line with anything would bite them as the half progressed.

And at the other end McCarthy-Scarsbrook's failure to get a shot on Fouad Yaha, as a powered down the left over the line, left McDonnell with too much to do.

Richards goaled to make it 8-6, but then Saints went close when McDonnell was short from a good Joe Greenwood pass and then was turned on the line.

A break on the half hour mark from Fages came to nought and then Lucas Albert went past Atelea Vea's missed tackle for a poor try to concede.

Todd Carney's one-pointer just before half time gave the home side a two-score lead at the break.

The failure of Fages to re-appear resulted in a makeshift half back pairing of Turner and skipper Jon Wilkin.

And it seemed to go ok at first with Saints forcing two drop outs and then the impressive McDonnell threw a fine ball for Adam Swift to score.

But that was as good as it got with a quick fire brace from the hosts wrapping it up.

First Jodie Broughton crossed in acres of space and from the restart pacy Escare raced through to extend the home lead.

Saints were only thankful that Richards' kicking boots were not with him.

Broughton added his second on the hour mark after fine work from the experienced Glenn Stewart, followed by a Thomas Bosc penalty in the 63rd minute after Morgan Knowles was harshly adjudged to have taken out the kicker.

Dragons' had grown a leg and everything they did came of with Tony Gigot crossed from Bosc's fine kick to make it 33-10.

Jack Owens bombed a sitter of a score when all he had to do was catch the ball and fall over, but the game was already lost.

McDonnell, who tried hard on both sides of the ball, was rewarded with a try, but it was all, too little too late.

The result leaves Saints needing snookers, a huge turnaround in their own form and an implosion from above them if they are to have a realistic chance of making the Super 8s interesting.

Dragons: 21. Morgan Escaré; 2. Jodie Broughton, 1. Tony Gigot, 5. Pat Richards, 20. Fouad Yaha; 6. Todd Carney, 27. Lucas Albert; 14. Dave Taylor, 16. Eloi Pelissier, 10. Rémi Casty, 11. Glenn Stewart, 12. Justin Horo, 13. Jason Baitieri.

Subs: 15. Julian Bousquet, 18. Thomas Bosc, 22. Antoni Maria, 30. Romain Navarrete.

Saints: 23. Shannon McDonnell; 22. Jack Owens, 21. Matty Dawson, 4. Mark Percival, 5. Adam Swift; 19. Theo Fages, 3. Jordan Turner; 14. Lama Tasi, 9. James Roby, 10. Kyle Amor, 20. Joe Greenwood, 12. Jon Wilkin, 13. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook.

Subs: 8. Alex Walmsley, 11. Atelea Vea, 17. Luke Thompson, 28. Morgan Knowles.