Joel Tomkins has been confirmed as Catalans Dragons’ new everlasting head coach.
Tomkins, brother of participant Sam, has been in interim cost since Steve McNamara’s departure in Could and regardless of profitable simply certainly one of eight Tremendous League video games, has agreed a two-year cope with the French facet that can final till 2027.
There are eight video games left within the season and Catalans are ninth within the desk, 9 factors outdoors the play-off positions
The 38-year-old stated: “I’m excited by the challenge and I’m motivated to make it a successful couple of years.
“Clearly, the final eight weeks have been troublesome. We have gained one sport however we have performed rather well and been shut in a few video games.
“We perceive the place we’re as a membership. It is going to be a giant transition over the following yr. There will be plenty of gamers leaving the membership on the finish of the season, plenty of new gamers coming into the staff.
“Bernard and I understand each other. I think we’re both on the same page where we want the club to go and I think, through our discussions, we can work really well together to move the club to the next level.”
Tomkins spent the vast majority of his enjoying profession with Wigan but in addition had spells in rugby union and with Hull KR earlier than hanging up his boots in 2021 after a two-year stint with the Dragons.
He rejoined the Perpignan outfit as a part of McNamara’s backroom workers final yr.
Tomkins may have a duty to attempt to carry via homegrown expertise however his high goal is to carry Tremendous League success to a membership that can have fun its twentieth anniversary within the competitors subsequent yr.
“The priority is to win games, win trophies,” stated Tomkins, who stated he was working exhausting to enhance his French.
“Obviously, the same as every club in Super League, we want to develop new players and we will be putting a lot of effort into those areas over the next couple of years.
“High quality recruitment is one other space that we have to have a look at however the primary focus is to win a Grand Last – the primary for the Dragons – over the following couple of years. That is the most important purpose for us.”
One player who will definitely be leaving, Tomkins admits, is his brother Sam after accepting there is no prospect of tempting the 36-year-old playmaker to reverse a decision to retire for a second time.
He said: “Sam has made it fairly clear that he’ll retire on the finish of the season. He needs to maneuver ahead working inside the media.”
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