‘I can’t do it much longer’: Sam Tomkins to retire at end of Super League season

England captain and two-time Man of Steel Sam Tomkins has announced that he will retire from rugby league at the end of the season.

The 33-year-old has yet to appear for his club Catalans Dragons so far this term, having undergone knee surgery in the wake of England’s shattering World Cup semi-final defeat to Samoa.

Tomkins made more than 200 appearances during two spells with Wigan, interspersed with a brief stint at New Zealand Warriors, and won the prestigious player of the year award twice, in 2012 and 2021.

After moving to France he was an integral part of the rise of Catalans, including their first appearance in a Grand Final in 2021.

Tomkins was included in England’s 2008 World Cup squad and made his international debut the following year, also playing in the 2013 tournament before going on to captain the team under current head coach Shaun Wane.

Tomkins announced his retirement while working live for Sky Sports covering the match between Huddersfield Giants and Castleford Tigers. He hopes to return to action in two or three weeks before hanging up his boots at the end of the campaign.

“Unfortunately this is going to be my last season on the field,” Tomkins told Sky Sports. “I can’t do it much longer. This year will be a push and I know I can get out there and perform this year, but I’m going to be moving into a role off the field next year, still with the Dragons.

“I still love the game, I’m still passionate about the game, I want to play and the rest of my body is saying to continue, but I’ve got that many issues in my left knee now that I can’t go much longer. It’s been a tough week and the club has been really supportive.”

He continued: “I’ve always given 100% when I’ve gone on the field and I’ll try to give