It has been discovered that retiring English international Sam Tomkins was close to joining the South Sydney Rabbitohs before joining the Warriors in the NRL.

The great rugby league fullback, who will play his final game for the Catalans Dragons in the Super League Grand Final this weekend, spent two seasons in the NRL with the New Zealand Warriors.

However, due to his association with Russell Crowe, Sam Tomkins almost signed the South Sydney Rabbitohs instead for the 2014 NRL season.

“In many ways, while the profile of rugby league needs to be raised – that’s probably a polite way of saying it – Sam has made an impact beyond the sport more than most in the Super League era,” former Wigan Warriors colleague Brian Carney told Love Rugby League.

“Yes, he’s not on the billboards in London like we’d like him to be, but there aren’t many players who could go on the red carpet and interview Russell Crowe before the premiere of Man of Steel, the new Superman film.”

“Sam did that in London before signing with the New Zealand Warriors in 2013, and I was there to witness it.”

“When we put our cameras in front of Russell Crowe, he said, ‘ah, Sam Tomkins, you’re a helluva player, mate.'” I’ll do my best to get you to Souths’.

“They did a great interview, and Sam laughed it off.” There was an instant connection because Russell Crowe recognized what a fantastic athlete he was speaking with. There aren’t many rugby league players on these shores who can turn Russell Crowe’s head.”

If he had joined the South Sydney Rabbitohs, he would have become an NRL Premiership player, playing with Sam Burgess, Greg Inglis, Adam Reynolds, and Isaac Luke.

While they may not have had the funds to sign Tomkins, they did add Jeff Lima, Ben Te’o, Thomas Burgess, and Bryce Goodwin during that season’s transfer window, raising the possibility that they may have signed Tomkins at that era.

Sam Tomkins, the ex-English captain and former New Zealand Warriors fullback, announced his retirement from rugby league earlier this year after 16 seasons.

Tomkins, a two-time English Super League Man of Steel award winner, joined the NRL at the end of the 2013 season from the Wigan Warriors for a then-world-record fee of $1.5 million.

Despite being committed to a three-year contract, Tomkins only played in the NRL for two years, in 2014 and 2015. Due to injuries and homesickness, he returned to England at the end and never competed in the Australian tournament again.

During these seasons, he appeared in 37 games and scored 14 tries for the Kiwi team. However, his tenure in the NRL was not only frustrating for himself, but also for the Warriors’ support base.

Despite being regarded as a failure, Tomkins stated in 2017 that he has no regrets regarding his time with the Warriors. The Warriors failed to reach the finals both seasons Tomkins was on the team.

“Unfortunately, this is going to be my last season on the field,” Tomkins stated in a statement announcing his retirement.

“I can’t keep doing it for much longer.” I still love the game, I’m still enthusiastic about the game, I want to play, and the rest of my body tells me to, but I can’t go much longer because of the troubles with my left knee.

“When I’ve been on the field, I’ve always given my all.” Knowing that it’s coming to an end is an odd sensation. Even talking about it doesn’t feel completely genuine yet.

“I have nothing to lose, and I want to go out on top this year.” I’ve been incredibly fortunate in my work, but my hunger is exactly the same as it was all those years ago when I didn’t have a beard.