On the back of Sam Tomkins’ reversal of his retirement announcement, we look back at the three-time Super League champion and seven other stars who have hung up their boots over the years.
1. Gareth Ellis – 2019 (Hull FC)
A few days before making his 450th Super League appearance in August 2017, Ellis announced that he would be retiring at the end of the campaign to take up an off-field role at Hull FC.
He did so, but dropped back into the middle at the start of the 2019 season and added another 28 appearances to his tally before retiring at the end of the 2020 campaign at the age of 36.
2. David Fifetta – 2023 (Wakefield Trinity)
The Tonga international spent seven seasons with Wakefield Trinity before departing Bellevue at the end of the 2022 season and ended his professional career by joining Central Coast Division outfit The Entrance Tigers before 2023. Taking time, they headed back down.
But after Wakefield lost their opening 13 league games in 2023, the powerhouse agreed a deal to return to West Yorkshire and try to help Trinity avoid relegation. His decision to do so finally came to fruition, with Mark Apple reaching the bottom of the stairs towards Garth. He even remembered the birth of his fourth child!
3. Miki Haim – 2018 (Lee Centurions)
Highgham’s early retirement could be a contender for the least amount of time to hang up the boots. He initially called time after featuring in a friendly against former club Wigan Warriors – then Centurions – in January 2018.
But when Featherstone Rovers visited Leigh Sports Village on March 4, the veteran – aged 36 – was back on the team sheet having been called into action following injuries to hackers Daniel Mortimer and Kurt Baptiste earlier in the season. had gone. Hayham finally retired for good at the end of the 2019 campaign.
4. Keegan Hurst – 2023 (Batley Bulldogs)
Hurst, who became Britain’s first openly gay professional rugby league player in 2015, played five games for the Halifax Panthers this year after the Championship season ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic after hanging up his boots for the first time in 2020.
But last season, he came out of retirement to embark on a third spell with hometown club Batley, making eight appearances for the Bulldogs with his final appearance against Featherstone on July 29.
5. Greg Inglis – 2021 (Warrington Wolves)
Three-time NRL champion Inglis, who featured 39 times for the Kangaroos on the international stage and played more than 30 games for Queensland at the State of Origin Games Down Under, retires at the end of the 2019 season. Gone, ending nine seasons with the Southerners. Sydney Rabbitohs.
However, in May 2020, Warrington offered him a contract for the following campaign, and it was a contract he took. The former Melbourne Storm star played just three games for the Wolves, though all came on May 21, before a hamstring injury cut short his time at the club and ended his career for good. Inglis scored despite two tries in all three of those contests.
6. Scott Murrell – 2023 (Midlands Hurricanes)
Former Hull KR and Halifax ace Morrell hangs up his boots for the first time at the end of the 2022 season after a two-year stint with Keighley. He joined the Cougars backroom team and would go on to take on a role with Super League outfit Castleford Tigers.
But in July 2023, the veteran was putting his boots back on to turn out for the Tigers’ dual-registration partners Midlands Hurricanes in League One. He had already played for the Cass reserves earlier in the year, and made two appearances for the Hurricanes before he had a good time on his career, at least for now!
7. Chris Redlinski – 2006 (Wigan Warriors)
Now we know Radlinsky as the CEO of Wigan, and the man who got the Super League in Las Vegas. But we will soon mark 20 years since his first retirement as a player, with a persistent knee injury forcing him to hang up his boots in March 2006 after not featuring that year.
But just a few months later, in June, Radlinski came out of retirement to play for his hometown club without a fee and the Warriors faced a number of personnel problems during a subpar season on the field. He retired for good in August 2006, helping them avoid relegation with six matches to spare. His last appearance came in a 20–18 win over Leeds Rhinos.
8. Sam Tomkins – 2024 (Catalan Dragons)
To the person who inspired this article round off. Tomkins’ retirement lasted almost nine months, hanging up his boots after the Catalans’ grand final defeat to former club Wigan at the end of last season. Aged 35, the two-time Man of Steel is set to return to action when the Dragons host Hull FC next week as he looks to recover from a recurring knee problem.