Joel Tomkins: Hull KR sign forward after Wigan Warriors exit

Joel Tomkins is a crosscode international

Hull KR have signed forward Joel Tomkins on an 18-month deal after his departure from Wigan Warriors.

The 31-year-old left Wigan on Monday, less than two weeks after they suspended him for a month and fined him £10,000 for being abusive to bar staff.

Tomkins said Wigan had accepted his resignation following the incident.

"It has been embarrassing for me, there's no doubt about that, and it's a sad situation for me to leave Wigan in this way," he added.

The dual-code England international, who could make his debut against Castleford on Sunday, told the Hull KR website: "I'm really grateful to Tim and everybody else involved at Hull KR for giving me the opportunity to move on from this.

"It's an opportunity for me to move to a club that's on the rise and that has some big plans moving forward. I'm genuinely excited to be a part of that.

"It is a completely different challenge to what I've had in recent times in my career but I'm ready for that and I think it's really going to invigorate me as a player and a person."

'Joel is a good guy'

Tomkins and younger brother Sam were both fined after the videos surfaced on social media following the defeat by Warrington in the Challenge Cup earlier this month.

Warriors executive director Kris Radlinski said the videos will "haunt" Tomkins for a long time, but that "they were not a true reflection of the man I know."

He told Wigan's website: "After the video had emerged, he sent me a message apologising for the position that he put me in and said that whatever I decided, our friendship would remain intact.

"Joel is a good guy and somebody I care about. This has been a really difficult situation for all people concerned. Now it is time to move on. We thank Joel and wish him well with his future endeavours."