By STEVE BRADY
CATALANS are ready to unleash further new recruits to boost their Super League title ambitions this season.
Coach Steve McNamara admitted he had “hopefully one or two” additions to make this week following the successful return of Sam Tomkins and the introduction of NRL prop Jarrod Wallace to his team in Saturday night’s 26-14 home win over Hull FC.
He said: “We’ve got space left on the salary cap this year, we’ve still got the ability to do more before Thursday’s deadline if we can find the right person and it might be more than one.
“We’ve lost some leadership and we’re certainly going to fill that with the players we’re bringing in next year, but it’s all about this season now and the immediate challenge ahead.
“With the power game we’ve got at the moment we are dominating possession and field position against most teams; we just need a little more class and a little more edge about us.
“I think it’ll come, in fact I’m sure it will come and we may add a player or two to help us in those areas.”
Catalans have signed Luke Keary and Nick Cotric from the NRL for next season, plus UK-based Tommy Makinson and Oliver Partington, and there are suggestions that Cotric may arrive earlier than planned to help the Dragons for the remainder of this season.
Catalans moved up to fourth in the league table after the victory over Hull and McNamara was full of praise for Tomkins, adding:
“Sam came off frustrated because he’d made some errors, and that’s just the player he is, but his voice and his vision and ability to coach other players on the field, you can’t put a price on it.”
Tomkins himself admitted after the Hull game: “The knee feels fine, it’s my lungs that are the problem, I was gassed there at the end.
“But what a great feeling to get back out there with your team-mates at this special place.
“It was a tough game and it wasn’t a perfect performance, I’m certainly not happy with my performance, I made too many mistakes.
“It was very humbling at the end to have so many supporters approaching me and I feel very blessed by their comments.
“I think I can be better than I was today, I’ll have ten ice baths a day for a week and I’ll be good for the next game.”
Meanwhile, McNamara says Catalans have not yet ruled winger Tom Johnstone out of the rest of the season with a broken leg.
“There’s definitely hope and we haven’t given up on this season,” said the coach.
“He’s got a fractured fibula but there’s no displacement so he doesn’t need an operation and hopefully his recovery will be straightforward. Tom is really intent on getting himself back for the last few games of the season and into the play-offs.”
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