Sam Tomkins has announced a shock return to Super League as he comes out of retirement to play for Catalans Dragons.
Tomkins, who will also continue his role as a pundit for Sky Sports, is set to come back on Saturday July 27 when Catalans face Hull FC in Perpignan – live on Sky Sports Action – and will be available for the remainder of the season.
The 35-year-old initially brought an illustrious 15-year career to an end last year, with the former England captain and two-time Man of Steel retiring at the end of the 2023 Super League season.
“Steve [McNamara] said a couple of weeks ago, ‘what do you think the chances are of you coming back?’ And in the last two weeks that’s progressed where I’ve signed for Catalans until the end of the season,” Tomkins told Sky Sports.
“At the start of this week, we had a meeting and Steve said to the players, ‘we have got a new player, Sam is going to be available to play’.
“It was received with a lot of laughter and funny looks! A lot of them thought it was a joke! When I mentioned it to my wife, she said, ‘are you serious?’ I said, ‘yeah’ and then she just started laughing.”
With three Grand Final wins, two Challenge Cups and two League Leaders’ Shields to his name, Tomkins is one of Super League’s most decorated players and among the greats of the modern era.
His ball-playing skills, running ability and vision meant he was comfortable playing at either full-back or in the halves during his two spells with Wigan Warriors and stints with the Dragons and NRL side New Zealand Warriors.
Tomkins is not sure which position he will play at this season, stating that he is “adding to the spine” of Catalans.
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“I’m excited. When I retired I was happily retired. I’ve got a great role with Sky and the bits I did with Catalans. It was only when Steve mentioned it to me, that it sparked something inside of me,” he added.
“A big thanks to owner Bernard [Guasch] as well as Steve. When I signed the contract I felt like a young kid signing my first professional contract again.
“I didn’t think I would get the same butterflies as what I did when I was 17. I’m over the moon, I’m excited.
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“I think I will be sore after the first game. I’ve had long breaks off with injury before and you feel that when you come back, but I’m excited and feel like I’m ready.”
Tomkins confident with knee again
Tomkins suffered a knee injury in 2022 which kept him out of four of the Dragons’ last seven Super league matches, with the England skipper then taking the time to get right for the Rugby League World Cup, during which he was an integral cog for the hosts in their run to the semi-finals.
He had surgery on his knee in January 2023 but the harsh effects of the recovery from such a big injury led him to announce in March 2023 that he would retire following the end of the season.
“After I finished, I had a few issues with my knee. But as time’s gone on, I’ve given time for my knee to rest,” Tomkins said.
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“In the last few months, I’ve started helping out the coaching and I jumped in with the reserve side, against the first team, a few times when needed, and it felt really good.
“The coaches joked about it, saying, ‘you look like you could play again’, and that’s how I felt. I spoke with the physios, they checked my knee and said, ‘you’ve had the luxury of eight months off, the amount of healing is quite a lot’. I’m not going to come back and say I’ve got a perfect knee, but it’s a lot better than it was for the final 12 months last year.
“I had a training programme on my own, so was going into the stadium by myself before the players got in and when I was working in England for Sky, I went running on my own, around rugby fields in Wigan early in the morning, getting some funny looks, just to check I could do it and if it was the right thing for me and I think I’m ready to go again for a little bit.”
A fairy-tale ending?
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Tomkins sent the Catalans Dragons into last year’s Super League Grand Final with this last-minute try!
Last season, Tomkins scored the winning try in the semi-finals as Catalans dramatically beat St Helens, before losing in the Grand Final to Wigan.
After joining Catalans Dragons ahead of the 2019 season, Tomkins made a big impact at the French club with his experience and quality.
He says he doesn’t know if he will continue to play after this season and first wants to go one better than last year before thinking about his future.
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An emotional Tomkins said he had ‘lived his dream’ after playing his what appeared to be his last game in Catalans’ defeat in the 2023 Super League Grand Final against Wigan
“That’s the plan! I want to finish this year at Old Trafford like every other player in Super League. I will do everything I can to make that happen,” said Tomkins.
“We have got a good group here. I think we will get better towards the end of this season. We need to find some form, which we have done in recent weeks.
“I feel like I had a fairy-tale ending last year and have been given another chance for another.”
Watch every match of the 2024 Betfred Super League season, including Magic Weekend, the play-offs, and men’s, women’s, and wheelchair Grand Finals, live on Sky Sports. Also stream with NOW.