Sam Tomkins makes bold comparison between Catalans Dragons star and Australian World Cup Winner

Over the last few years Catalans Dragons have been enjoying a purple patch and almost constantly playing play-off rugby league and their bright young talent Arthur Mourgue could ensure that continues with England captain Sam Tomkins likening the Frenchman to Cooper Cronk.

Mourgue made his debut for Catalans in 2018 and the 23-year-old has gone on to make a total of 41 appearances for the French side in Super League.

The versatile back is extremely talented and represented France in the recent World Cup where he scored a try against Greece as well as kicking seven goals.

Mourgue made 14 appearances for the Dragons last season, including from the bench during the feisty play-off loss to Leeds Rhinos which saw Catalans shown four cards.

With England captain Tomkins playing incredible rugby in his last two seasons, securing the Man of Steel award in 2021, Mourgue has some brilliant teachers and Tomkins commented on his potential in a video that was shared by the official Betfred Super League twitter account.

Tomkins said: “When I came to the club, I got told ‘we’ve got this young kid, Arthur Mourgue, he’s gonna play’ and I think sometimes young kids get pressure on them and it can affect them in the wrong way.

“Then I met Arthur, he’s the most confident young kid you’ll ever meet. He walked into training like he was Cooper Cronk and I thought ‘you better be able to perform’ because he’s got everything else. I just hadn’t seen him play. He came on the field and he’s electric, he’s electric.”

Cronk of course is one of Australia’s best ever players having won the NRL title four times, the Daly M (Man of Steel equivalent) two times and also secured World Cup victory on two separate occasions in 2013 and 2017.

Since that first meeting between Tomkins and Mourgue the young Frenchman has kicked on and is forging a stellar Super League career, although was hindered last season early on with injury.

Coming into his second full season wearing the number one shirt he could be set for a huge year and will play a key role for the French outfit after they’ve lost playmaker Josh Drinkwater to Warrington, if he’s anything like Cooper Kronk the Dragons will be in for a huge season.