'Definitely my last!' - Super League icon Sam Tomkins confirms retirement at end of season

[josie andrews]

Catalans Dragons star and Wigan Warriors icon Sam Tomkins has confirmed he will ‘definitely’ be hanging up his boots at the end of the current Super League season.

The 36-year-old fullback initially retired from his trophy-laden playing career at the end of the 2023 season following Catalans’ defeat to former club Wigan in the Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford, but he made a u-turn on his decision midway through last season to once again lace his boots up for the Dragons.

Tomkins signed extended terms with Steve McNamara’s side for 2025, but he has now confirmed that this year is ‘definitely my last’.

Speaking to The Rugby League Verdict on Sky Sports, Tomkins said with a smile: “I’ve had the nice fairytale and the nice send off and all the nice words said about me in 2023 so there won’t be any of that this year, I’ll humbly retire at the end of the year, hopefully at Old Trafford lifting the trophy, that’s the dream, but this year is definitely my last!

“I’ve enjoyed coming out of retirement, and I’m seeing it as though every game is a bonus. I’ve wanted to be a rugby league player from being five years old, there’s nothing else I’ve ever wanted to do, so when the opportunity came to go around again for a little bit, I sort of felt like I had to do it for the five-year-old Sam Tomkins.

“I feel like you’re a long-time retired so this year I’m going to give everything I’ve got and then I’m going to be hanging up the boots and I’ll be team Sky Sports next year rather than Catalans Dragons.”

Tomkins is undoubtedly one of the greatest players of the Super League era, being only one of four players to win the Man of Steel award more than once alongside Paul Sculthorpe (two), Andy Farrell (two) and Ellery Hanley (three).

The Milton Keynes-born fullback came through the ranks at Wigan, scoring 168 tries in 213 games across two spells with the Warriors. Tomkins enjoyed two seasons in the NRL with New Zealand Warriors between 2014 and 2015 before returning to Wigan.

The former England captain made the move to the south of France ahead of the 2019 campaign with Catalans, where he remains to this day, having scored 40 tries in 115 appearances for Steve McNamara’s side.

Tomkins, who has been named in the Super League Dream Team eight times, won three Super League titles, two League Leaders’ Shields, two Challenge Cups and a World Club Challenge title with Wigan, whilst reaching two Grand Finals with Catalans as well as winning a League Leaders’ Shield with the French club.

On the international stage, Tomkins won 29 caps for England, representing his country in two World Cups as well as the World Cup Nines in 2019.

https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby- ... on-5097650