Thursday 14 June 2018 14:52, UK
Joel Tomkins says he is targeting a fresh start at Hull KR after moving from Wigan Warriors following an incident at a local bar.
The former dual-code England international left the Warriors by mutual consent and signed for Hull KR after a video emerged of him and his brother, Sam, being abusive and threatening to staff in a bar in Standish, near Wigan, two months ago.
Tomkins said he was "deeply ashamed" by the incident, and was grateful for the opportunity to "move on" with Hull KR after signing a deal until the end of the 2019 season.
Asked if this move represents closure and a fresh start, Tomkins replied: "Yeah, exactly. You've hit the nail on the head there. That's what it is.
"I made the decision to leave Wigan Warriors because I felt after the incident that it would be best for everybody concerned to make a fresh start.
"Especially after speaking to Tim during the week, it was pretty obvious to myself and my family that this was the place that would be best suited to do that.
"I suppose I've got a point to prove to Hull KR fans and my fellow players, to earn their respect on the field. I haven't got a point to prove with anything to do with the incident that happened, that was a one-off incident which I commented about in my statement.
"It was a huge mistake which I made, I'm not proud of it, but I've held my hands up, said sorry and I'm going to move on from it now."
Tomkins, who is set to make his Hull KR debut on Sunday at Castleford Tigers, said he considered offers from a number of clubs - including those closer to Wigan.
But when asked if it was important to be at club that is a good distance from Wigan, Tomkins replied: "Not really. To be honest, I think the situation has died down.
"The situation was I got drunk in a pub and acted like an idiot. There is plenty of people who have been guilty of that in the past - that's what happened. My family are not being affected by that incident any more. We got a bit of a stick for a week or so, but it's died down now.
"It's not about that, it was a rugby decision. I weighed up my options on the other clubs, but once I spoke to Tim it was pretty obvious that this was the best choice for me to play my best rugby."
