BY STEVE BRADY
CATALANS DRAGONS have signed St Helens winger Tommy Makinson following a decision by the 32-year-old England international to move to the south of France.
Makinson made an emotional statement on social media yesterday (Sunday) in which he called time on a 14-year career in the red vee at the end of the season. He has agreed a contract at Stade Gilbert Brutus as a direct replacement for fellow England winger Tom Johnstone who is heading back to Wakefield Trinity after two years in Perpignan.
Catalans were keen to make a headline recruitment after Johnstone’s decision followed quickly on the heels of Dragons’ team-mate Mike McMeeken who is also heading to Wakefield for 2025.
President Bernard Guasch wanted to keep both McMeeken and Johnstone and had 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 read, “We understand (Johnstone’s) desire to take his young family back to England, and have that important support from relatives, it was something that the club could not fight against and fully respects.”
Johnstone and McMeeken’s proposed departures have sent the rumour mill into overdrive with some suggestions that Tom Davies, Chris Satae and Jordan Abdull may also be returning to England at the end of this season.
The club won’t comment on such speculation but rumours were heightened by a story in Perpignan’s L’Indépendant newspaper which suggested that the Dragons already have a “hit-list” of potential targets for replacements which included Makinson plus Leeds Rhinos winger Ash Handley and Salford forward Ollie Partington.
According to the article, potential wing recruits from down under 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 from Perpignan, French international prop Romain Navarrete has signed a two-year contract extension until the end of season 2026.
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