Super League icon Sam Tomkins announces second retirement as timeframe confirmed

Super League icon Sam Tomkins has announced that he will retire for good at the end of the 2025 campaign, bringing the curtain down on an 18-year career.

Two-time Man of Steel Tomkins had hung up his boots at the end of 2023 on the back of Catalans Dragons’ Grand Final defeat to boyhood club Wigan Warriors.

But midway through last year, his return to the field with Catalans was announced, and he penned an extension to his contract for 2025.

The legendary back turned 36 in March, and recently made his 400th career appearance. But now, he’s confirmed that this season will definitely be his last as a player.

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‘I’ll humbly retire at the end of the year, hopefully at Old Trafford lifting the Super League trophy’

Milton Keynes-born Tomkins has won nine major honours during his career, including three Super League titles across two stints with Wigan which were separated by his time Down Under donning a shirt in the NRL for the New Zealand Warriors.

Speaking earlier this week on Sky Sports’ ‘The Verdict’, he said: “I’ve had the nice fairytale and the nice send off and all the nice words said about me last year 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 (Super League) trophy.

“That’s the dream, but this year is definitely my last.”

Having been capped 35 times by England, the veteran now forms part of Shaun Wane’s backroom team. He also remained involved in the coaching side of things at Catalans the first time he retired, and works as a pundit for Sky, which he’ll continue.

The 36-year-old has scored five tries in as many appearances for Catalans so far this season, kicking 12 goals in the process, and is now closing in on the figure of 1,600 career points.

He added: “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 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 up.

“I’ll be team Sky Sports next year rather than Catalans Dragons.”

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