Huddersfield comments are a “terrible attitude”, says Sam Tomkins
Photo: John Rushworth/SWpix
Sam Tomkins says Catalans boss Steve McNamara was right to accuse Huddersfield of disrespect after their alleged comments to IMG about French clubs not being in Super League.
McNamara reacted furiously last week, after learning of the alleged comments, saying: “There is talk of Huddersfield saying French teams give nothing to the game and should not be in Super League which is an absolute disgrace. People talk about the game being together but it’s b******t.”
Huddersfield managing director Richard Thewlis questioned how McNamara would know what was said and insisted discussions were better being kept private.
But speaking on this week’s Love Rugby League Podcast, Tomkins says McNamara was entirely within his rights to defend his club.
“The first I heard of it was when I read the comments from Steve,” said Tomkins.
“Steve doesn’t say things out of anger or emotion. We can take a tough loss or a great win and Steve isn’t doing cartwheels or crying at either of those.
“Steve will think about what he is going to say. He doesn’t get too high or too low and that is the consistency you want from your coach.
“So the comments regarding Huddersfield won’t have just been blurted out, they will have been thought through. I would back everything that he is saying. I think it is a terrible attitude to have. We clearly add to what Super League has got so I would back Steve’s comments. He would have thought that through and known exactly what has gone on before coming out with that.”
Sam Tomkins: We bring a lot to Super League
And Tomkins is keen to remind Huddersfield and any other critics of French rugby league, just what the Dragons bring to Super League.
“We have won a Challenge Cup and got to a Grand Final,” he said. “These are things that clubs who have been in Super League for decades haven’t done.
“We make it an international league. There’s an M62 corridor that everyone goes on about and London came in at one point; and Crusaders and it’s not quite worked. We are a club that works.
“We have an owner who puts his hand in his pocket more than any other owner. Through Covid there is no other owner who would have done what Bernard (Guasch) did. He was getting hit from his work side, the business that makes the money for the club to survive; and then dipping his hand in his own pocket spending more than he had ever spent when he was earning less than he had ever earned.
“We bring a group of passionate fans. Everyone knows when you come to Catalans it is a different experience to any other club. You get some great atmospheres in Super League but over here it is different, it is a carnival atmosphere.”
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