FORMER Catalans Dragons veteran Sam Tomkins has explained why his former teammate, Matt Whitley, made the move to St Helens after five years in the south of France.
Hailing from St Helens, Whitley returned home in the off-season having earned a reputation for himself as one of the most impressive second-rowers in Super League.
During his time at the Stade Gilbert Brutus, the 28-year-old, made 103 appearances, scoring 35 tries with Whitley on the cusp of England international honours under Steve McNamara at Catalans.
However, he made the decision to move to Saints – the club he was released from as a young player – and now Tomkins has explained just why.
“He is a St Helens lad, his dream would always be to play for St Helens,” Tomkins said on Sky Sports.
“He was at the club as a youngster and was released. He has had to make this journey the hard why after joining Widnes to prove himself a bit.
“In France, he has proved himself to be a quality Super League player in the last five years.
“When he’s in your team, everyone is happy because everyone knows he will be a 7 or 8 out of 10 every week. You don’t know how good he is until you play alongside him.”
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