IT has been something of a whirlwind past few months for ambitious Saints wing Tommy Makinson - on and off the field.

The 24-year-old finisher, who has just signed a new contract that will keep him at Langtree Park for another four years, has the twin highlights of becoming a dad and scoring the match clinching try at Old Trafford.

And he has high hopes that he can play his part in proving that last year’s success was not a flash in the pan and that the team can be regulars at lifting the silverware again.

With an exciting future ahead the Wigan born flankman was delighted to sign a new deal at Saints – although there would have been no shortage of offers elsewhere, given his prowess for finishing.

Makinson said: “It was a long decision to sign the new deal and it took a while to get it sorted.

“But there is nowhere else that I would rather be than here at Saints.

“From the top to bottom – from chairman Eamonn McManus down to the young fellas here – there is a great attitude.

“And with the coaching staff Keiron Cunningham was always an idol of mine who I looked up to – as is Longy.

“Saints is somewhere where I want to be, I am best friends with all the boys. I love the club and am so happy can stay here for another four years.”

Last October at Old Trafford, when Paul Wellens flighted a perfectly-weighted kick towards the uprights, Makinson was the player who attacked it; rising higher than the static Warriors on the line before plucking the ball out of the air and forcing the ball down to spark a massive party in the Stretford End.

He may have leapt with delight then, but his feet have remained firmly on the ground as he takes his place in a young three-quarter line for 2015, aiming to back up last year’s achievement.

He accepts that he is still on massive learning curve – but one he is eager to progress along.

“I have 100 per cent got a lot to learn and I am nowhere near the player I need to be in order to be the finished article and if I’m to stay here for my career,” Makinson said.

“We have a lot to build on – it was a good year last season but we have to build on one or two trophies and be winning them every year.

“With all the young players coming through Saints is definitely the place to be.”

That young team was brought down to earth with something of a bump, with the young backline in particular singled out for criticism in the heavy defeat by South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Makinson, however, feels that aspects of playing in that 39-0 hammering could hasten the team’s development rather than leave too many deep scars.

It was noticeable, even before the game looking at the teamsheet, how few of the Saints 17 had played test rugby.

At the elite world level, mistakes and inattentiveness that could be amended against Salford and Catalans in the opening game, were ruthlessly punished against the Australian premiers.

“It was without doubt the hardest game I have ever played in. I have played in Grand Finals but that was something else,” Makinson said.

“There is a big difference between playing Super League and international level and this game was up the ladder towards test rugby - one of the biggest games you play in.”

But despite the defeat Makinson believes that the squad will soon get over it by stringing together a few more domestic wins to continue their march at the top of the table – and they are now just one of two teams with a 100 per cent start to the campaign.

“If you look at the age of the squad for the Rabbitohs game – it was a really young side – and you could see a lot of the boys were nervous. Maybe the occasion got us but we did ourselves a massive injustice.

“We were not the luckiest either and sometimes look up to sky and ask if it is going to be one of those days.

“That said, Souths are a fantastic side, it isnot often that you get the ball with half a chance and look up and see five or six blokes coming across.

“They are a great side and a step above in the NRL, but we are so much better than that. We did not play to our potential,” he said.

But for Makinson it is back on the horse and doing what he does best – touching down.

And that is exactly what he did against Castleford last Friday, even if it was not a ‘Tommy Special’ – one of those eye-catching one-handed finishes at the corner flag.

It is one of the aspects that have made him a crowd pleaser in the red vee.

“I practice tight corner finishing and it something I have learned at Saints.

“When I was young I played as a centre and although I scored I was not regarded as a finisher as such.

“I am lucky enough to play in a side that always plays free-flowing rugby.

“That means I get a lot of opportunities and hopefully I will get a few more this year.

“If you look at me as a player and think what I am best at then its finishing off tries so let’s hope that is something I can carry on doing for a long, long time,” Makinson said.