“Royale confirmation,” the headline in L'Indépendant said. Catalans Dragons' 45-38 defeat of Wigan Warriors, who have lost twice to the French side this season and will hardly relish another visit to their lair in August, represented a defining - majestic even - moment in the fledgeling club's three years.

The rugby league public of Perpignan are conversant with Wigan's lustrous history and packed the Gilbert Brutus Stadium to its official 9,125 limit, although several hundred more were shoehorned in on Saturday. They were rewarded by an enthralling victory on a night of passion, colour and drama that not only cemented Catalans' third place in the engage Super League, a point behind St Helens, but the impression that they are now serious title contenders.

Mick Potter, the coach, who is leaving for St Helens next season, did not get Catalans to this point by throwing everything in the air when results were going badly and will not get carried away now the side have confounded every sceptic with their winning brand of rugby. But even he was excited by the unbridled manner of this victory. “Leeds and St Helens are the stand-outs, but we're sitting pretty,” he said. “Let's get to the play-offs first, then take it 80 minutes by 80 minutes.”

Catalans' victory over Wigan in their inaugural match at the start of the 2006 season was a glorious one-off; this was the real deal. The Warriors withstood the pace for 55 minutes, but were blown away by cunning, daring and the broad brushstrokes painted by a bristling attack. Full value for the excitable crowd's euros in other words, and they lapped up a scintillating second-half display after Wigan had led 18-14 at half-time.

There were some lovely touches by Trent Barrett, but Thomas Leuluai's kicking game was horribly askew. As a half-back combination, they were simply no match for Adam Mogg and Thomas Bosc, the new darling of the French game, with his deft touches and almost faultless place-kicking.

In the battle of the heavyweights up front, Jamal Fakir, Le Bulldozer as he is called, won a points decision over the mountainous Iafeta Paleaaesina, Olivier Elima put in a thunderous contribution around the fringes and Sébastien Raguin, another of five tryscorers with Clint Greenshields, the full-back, poaching a hat-trick, further illustrated the growing depth that France have in World Cup year and with which to give England a testing run-out in Toulouse on Friday week.

It is not simply the homegrown players who are enjoying themselves, but a strong Australian contingent, of whom Casey McGuire, the veteran Jason Croker and Mogg have agreed contract extensions in recent days.

Croker, 35, has become a mentor to the young French players, while McGuire, in his second season, has detected a sea change in attitudes on and off the pitch. “This club is going places,” McGuire said. “You see it in the town, with more posters, stickers in cars and greater recognition for the players. The crowd are really vocal and really lift you. But you're seeing changes with the young French players as they get stronger. Take the confidence they now have into the match against England and it'll be really interesting to see who wins.”

Plans to extend the ground's capacity to 14,000 in two phases are urgently awaited. More than 700 schoolchildren competed in a rugby league festival before the match and USAP Perpignan, the town's rugby union club, have a seriously ambitious rival. “We are not only in third place on merit,” Bernard Guasch, Catalans' charismatic president, said. “You see now that this club is here to stay.”