He’s Betfred Super League’s top try-scorer and plays for stylish leaders Catalans but something still nags away at Tom Johnstone.
The prolific winger is in career best form - but it’s still not enough to please England boss Shaun Wane. Johnstone was surprisingly overlooked for April’s international against France. It means he remains on just one Test appearance, his memorable 2018 debut when the then Wakefield wideman scored a hat-trick against France.
And Johnstone has revealed why that fact is now annoying him so much. He explained: "I was told once by a very well-respected England player that until you’ve played 10 England games you’re not a proper England player. I did take that personally. He didn't say it in a bad way. But it sat with me.
"I want to play for England and put that right so it was disappointing to miss France. We got a call from Shaun Wane and he said he wanted to try a younger side. But then one winger who played is 27, the same as me. I just have to work harder."
It was Leeds wideman Ash Handley, 27, who got the nod along with fellow uncapped star Matty Ashton, 23, of Warrington. But Johnstone is redoubling efforts to prove he’s good enough to face Tonga this autumn. His brace in Saturday’s thrilling 38-30 win against high-fliers Leigh took him to 20 Super League tries this term, one in front of Leopards’ Josh Charnley.
Only Charnley has made more than Johnstone’s massive 2,171m while only Wigan’s Bevan French has topped Johnstone’s impressive 78 tackle busts. Classy Catalans are showing genuine signs of being able to lift a maiden title. The beaten 2021 Grand Finalists raced into a 20-0 lead in Perpignan although Leigh fought back to briefly go in front.
But Johnstone’s second - his first marked his 100th Super League try - helped make sure Steve McNamara’s side opened up a two point lead at the top. He said: “I knew it was going to be a tough game. Leigh were hard to beat the last time we played and they arrived on a nine-match winning streak.
“That first 20 minutes wasn’t a true reflection of them; the next 40 was. “They are hard to stop. But we kept going and it was a test we needed.
“Steve said, if we want to win the comp’ we will need to face adversity and get through it. We just have to keep our own run going now.”
