Sam Tomkins: World Cup dream delayed retirement decision
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.
Sam Tomkins says his goal of captaining England in a World Cup delayed his decision to hang up the boots.
Tomkins, 34, will retire at the end of the current season due to a knee injury.
Speaking to Catalans Dragons, the two-time Man of Steel winner revealed that he sustained the blow to his left knee during the 2022 Super League campaign and had to debate early retirement.
However, his dream of captaining his country at a World Cup motivated the ex-Wigan and NRL full-back to play through to 2023, having made just two appearances so far this season for Steve McNamara’s Dragons.
Tomkins captained Shaun Wane’s England on home soil last year, progressing through to the semi-finals before Samoa’s Stephen Crichton knocked the hosts out of the tournament at the Emirates Stadium with a drop-goal golden point extra time winner.
“I thought about it last year, I got injured during the season. I saw some specialists and they said it was something I should consider,” Tomkins told Catalans Dragons.
“But last year, with the World Cup coming up, I knew I couldn’t make any decision because a big goal for me was to captain my country in a World Cup.
“After that I could go and get an operation and hope that it would help, which it did, but still not to the standard where I can continue into 2024.”
FULL STORY: England captain Sam Tomkins to retire at the end of 2023
Sam Tomkins: It’s the toughest decision I’ve made in my life
Tomkins has made 243 Super League appearances to date, scoring 149 career tries in the competition.
A product of Wigan’s academy, he marked his professional debut with five tries against Whitehaven in the Challenge Cup in 2008.
In the same fashion, Tomkins crossed for a hat-trick on his international debut against Wales back in 2009.
He will bring an illustrious 16-year career to an end at the conclusion of the Super League campaign, having so far won three Grand Finals, two Challenge Cups, two League Leaders’ Shields and six inclusions in the Super League Dream Team.
Tomkins also featured in the NRL across two seasons for the New Zealand Warriors for a record transfer fee from Wigan.
“The reason is I can just no longer do it”
“The decision was a tough one, but it’s down to an injury,” Tomkins explained.
“I’d love to continue longer, but it’s just not possible with my knee. I’ve had a few issues over the years and at my age I can’t repair as quick as I would like to.
“The reason is I can just no longer do it.
“It’s the toughest decision I’ve made in my life, not just rugby, in my life.
“I thought I was ready to make the decision, and then when I had to go speak to the coach, the CEO and Bernard Guasch, it was tough, because I’ve been playing rugby professionally for 15 years.
“I’ve been playing rugby since I was five years old, 28 years every single week, playing rugby league.
“The decision was very tough because I’m a rugby player, that’s the first thing I am before anything else, before I’m a dad, a husband, anything else, I’m a rugby player.
“For me, it was a tough decision and it wasn’t easy to make, but in the end the option will be taken out my hands anyway.
“Although it was tough, it’s the right time.”
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