Super League club turn to Tommy Makinson after exiting St Helens – Total Rugby League

BY STEVE BRADY

CATALANS DRAGONS have signed St Helens winger Tommy Makinson following the 32-year-old England international’s decision to move to the south of France.

Makinson made an emotional statement on social media yesterday (Sunday) calling time on a 14-year career in the Red V at the end of the season. He has agreed a contract at the Stade Gilbert Brutus as a direct replacement for fellow England winger Tom Johnstone, who returns to Wakefield Trinity after two years at Perpignan.

The Catalans have been keen to make a prime move after Johnstone’s decision follows fast on the heels of Dragons team-mate Mike McMeeken, who is also heading to Wakefield for 2025.

Chairman Bernard Guasch wanted to keep both McMeeken and Johnstone and offered pay rises and contract extensions to their current deals in Perpignan, but both players cited family reasons for their decisions.

A statement released by the Dragons said: “We understand (Johnstone’s) desire to take his young family back to England and have that important support from relatives, it was something the club could not fight against and respects full”.

The proposed departures of Johnstone and McMeeken have sent the rumors into overdrive, with some suggesting that Tom Davies, Chris Satae and Jordan Abdull could also return to England at the end of this season.

The club will not comment on such speculation but the rumors were fueled by a story in Perpignan newspaper L’Indépendant which suggested the Dragons already had a “hit list” of potential replacement targets which included Makinson plus the Leeds Rhinos winger , Ash Handley and Salford Striker Ollie Partington.

According to the article, potential under wing recruits included New Zealand Warriors’ Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Sydney Roosters’ Daniel Tupou, although Tupou is likely to remain in Australia after being offered a new one-year contract extension.

In other news, Perpignan have signed France international Romain Navarrete on a two-year contract extension until the end of the 2026 season.

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