23/09/2025
TOMMY MAKINSON has won the lot in Super League and reached the 200-try milestone during last week’s win over Hull FC but he is hungrier than ever to bring more silverware to Catalans Dragons (writes STEVE BRADY).
Makinson hit the two-ton mark with a trademark touchdown at the MKM Stadium but his main aim is to help win success with his team-mates.
Now fourth on the top Super League try-scorers’ list behind Ryan Hall, Josh Charnley and Danny Maguire, Makinson said, “It means a lot to me to join an elite club like that, it’s pretty special but I’m probably more made up to be scoring tries for the team to be honest.
“I’m glad we finished the season with some wins but clearly we’ve not been good enough this year and hopefully we can take the positives from the last couple of games and build it into next year.
“Everybody will tell you that you don’t play a team game for personal records but when you reach a milestone like that it is pretty special.”
Makinson admitted he was feeling the pressure to reach the 200-mark, adding, “It’s a bit emotional, I’m just a kid from Wigan so this is a special time, I’ve got my grandad and grandma and friends and family watching so to score so many tries makes it feel pretty emotional and proud too with my partner and kids watching at home.
“In time I’ll get overtaken but for now I can say ‘I was up there, I could score a try or two.’
“I can relax now in pre-season knowing that I have overtaken Wello (his former coach and team-mate Paul Wellens) and I hope he was watching tonight.”
The 33-year-old former Saints star added, “I’d been playing at one club for so long and then you move on it’s tough to get used to different structures and coaches never mind moving to another country as well.
“Catalans are a great club, when you come here and realise how many great players have been here in its relatively short history you have to respect what they have put into our league.
“At the moment the club are doing it tough, we’ve got to be better, it’s just not been good enough this year.”
Makinson was pleased for new coach Joel Tomkins to record three wins in a row in the final fixtures of the season.
He said,“Joel’s come in and given us a bit of desire, he wants us to stand up and be counted and play for one another.
“We’ve known for a while that we would have nothing to play for at the end of the season, it was more about being men and standing up for one another.
“Joel brings a winning mindset, he’s a winner you can tell because he’s quite an honest bloke. He doesn’t beat about the bush, if you’re not good enough he’ll tell you.”
Tomkins was happy with the positive end to the season with three wins in a row but realises there is a lot of hard work ahead to put the club back into title contenders.
He said, “We’ve definitely taken some steps in the right direction, we will be a new group next year but we will definitely want to carry over some of the positive things that we have done these last few weeks.
“In the last two weeks we have come up against teams who have had a lot to play for and we’ve not had anything to play for apart from each other and the boys who are moving on.
“We’ve got some players retiring after tonight and others who will be moving to new teams next year so they have found their own motivation.
“I was banging on about it for six or eight weeks that the players have to find their own personal motivation and pride and they have certainly done that these last couple of weeks.
“We’ve been planning next year since the play-offs became unreachable for us so we’ll be in next week as staff, we’ll do some reviews with the boys and then we’ll take a break, I think we need it myself included.
“Just a word on (assistant coach) Ryan Sheridan, I came in as a young and inexperienced coach and he has been invaluable for me, he’s been outstanding supporting me and helping me through a few tough times over the last few months. He’s been a rock for me.”
Sheridan is expected to be a part of the new coaching staff for Catalans in 2026 alongside former Dragons Michael McIlorum and Mitch Pearce.
Les Dracs have been linked to Castleford centre Zac Cini in addition to the current recruits for 2026 in Toby Sexton, Solomona Faataape, Josh Allen, Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui, Charlie Staines and fellow Tigers’ back Josh Simm.
❤️💛
