Axed NRL star Todd Carney has been given a lifeline by English Super League outfit Catalan Dragons, who landed the former Dally M medal winner on a three-year deal.
The 28-year-old will also be handed the captaincy of the Perpignan club from next season, as long as the move is approved by the Rugby Football League.
The signing was hailed as a coup by Catalan chairman Bernard Guasch, who compared it to the club’s previous high-profile overseas recruits Stacey Jones, Steve Menzies and Greg Bird.
“We are delighted that a such talented player chose our club despite a fierce competition with other Super League and Rugby Union clubs,” Guasch said on Tuesday.
“My desire was to attract a world-class player for the 10th season of the Catalan Dragons in Super League and I think we can be really satisfied today.
“After Stacey Jones, Greg Bird and Steve Menzies, it’s another world-class player who decides to join our club.”
Bird resurrected his career with the Dragons in 2009, leading them to within 80 minutes of a maiden grand final after being thrown a lifeline by the French club, and now Carney will be aiming to do likewise.
Carney’s proposed move to Huddersfield in 2008 collapsed after he failed to obtain a visa but the Catalans do not anticipate any such difficulties and are confident the RFL will not block the signing.
Carney, who won the Dally M medal in 2010, was de-registered by the NRL in June for a breach of Cronulla’s code of conduct.
This followed previous disciplinary issues at Canberra and Sydney Roosters but the Dragons are confident he can get his career back on track away from the Sydney spotlight.
Catalan chief executive Christophe Jouffret, who said he had to fight off interest from several clubs for Carney’s signature, envisaged a similar lifestyle turnaround that that of Bird, who now plays for the Gold Coast.
“The Catalan Dragons board is committed to support Todd Carney in his new life, far away from the media pressure he had in Sydney,” he said.
“Greg Bird, who now plays in the NRL and for Australia, resurrected his career during a 12-month spell in the south of France, and became, after his time here, the brilliant player he is now.
“I’m sure Todd will seize this great opportunity to show the great player he is.”
Carney played three State of Origin games for New South Wales in 2012 and made his Test debut in 2010, when he was named international player of the year.
“He is one of the best players in the world,” Catalan head coach Laurent Frayssinous said.
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