PAUL Aiton has told Sam Tomkins it will not be an easy ride at Catalans Dragons – the fans will make sure of it.
Perpignan may have beaches and boiling hot weather, with temperatures touching 40 degrees in the summer.
But things are more similar for the Wigan star than meets the eye, not least the fervent passion for rugby league hundreds of miles from the M62 corridor.
And Aiton is adamant that despite gaining a reputation as somewhat of a retirement home, the Dragons can breathe fire in Super League.
He said: “For the club, Sam’s a great signing. I know the club is excited to have him, so are the players and the fans.
“I think he’ll really enjoy it. The fans are really supportive and I’d like to think he’ll bring a lot
“The fans down there absolutely love it. The Catalan people really enjoy their rugby and any success is great for the region.”
At the moment, Tomkins says he is going whether Steve McNamara’s Dragons are in Super League or not as McNamara’s men currently sit 11th.
But things seem to be coming together on the field after the former England chief had plenty to turn around off it after they narrowly averted relegation by winning last year’s Million Pound Game.
Aiton added: “It’s a job where Steve’s had to turn the whole club around and some of the things you can’t just turn around overnight. He keeps us on track and we hope we can repay him and the club.
“Last year we had a lot of frustration, we weren’t performing and I guess the players were a bit down.
“A lot of it was about giving the players the confidence that they can do it again. It’s a matter of time before we put it together.”
Aiton’s side faces former club Leeds today, a place he kept a house as he thought he would retire there.
Instead, the hooker flies the Papua New Guinea flag in France, to the point where he has taken his French partner to his home village, dressed her in tribal costume and taught her some of the local dialect.
Despite retiring from internationals after last year’s World Cup, he maintains strong contacts with the game in his homeland and is ecstatic England Knights, an emerging England side, is heading there for two matches in the Autumn.
And even though it is meant to help England’s chances at Test level, he feels it may benefit the Pacific island’s too, warning whoever goes with Paul Anderson’s side to be prepared for sights they have never seen before.
The 32-year-old said: “Even I, who was prepared for the scenes, was like, ‘Woah’ at the World Cup.
“I couldn’t believe how big the game is there now. After our last game, everyone was at the side of the road from the stadium to the hotel, cheering our little white bus.
“I think the Knights players will really enjoy it too. That’s all I can say, enjoy it.”
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