Hopkins made his first grade debut for Penrith in Round 10 1997 against the Western Reds at the WACA which ended in a 35–20 loss.

Hopkins was part of the Penrith side which finished 5th in the 2000 season but lost to Parramatta in the semi-finals.

Having played a stint for the London Broncos/Harlequins RL in the Super League, Hopkins returned to Australia at the end of the 2007 season.

In 2008, he played for the Windsor Wolves in the Jim Beam Cup competition before retiring due to a persistent knee injury.

[2][3][4] From the 2019 season, Hopkins is the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League