I am sure you are right. After all, every interview with pretty well every RL player tends to look similar to every other. And of course hacks (and, more to the point, sports editors) are past masters at selective quoting (they must have cut their teeth on these forums...) so it really does come down to can you believe anything you read?

Not taking issue with fans expressing their opinions mate. And he's hardly my favourite player either. I was just observing that many of the posts looked to be seeking to justify the booing. But don't forget, been there done that in years gone by. ow many times did Bulls players get slagged off - on this forum as much as anywhere - when they were picked for GB? And Noble and Bulls were absolutely castigated for Noble picking Bulls payers for GB. And, as I said earlier, it was quite common to be sat at international matches hearing supporters of other clubs booing Bulls players. So nothing new here.

Ok - so here goes... I hate anything that brings this great game into disrepute! That includes 'booing' the likes of Sam Tomkins even for reasons I have already described. It also includes blatently incompetent refs, sight-impaired touch judges who should sometimes pay for a ticket, cheating tactics, disrespectful attitudes propogated by the likes of the BBC, and often Sky, with imcompetent, ill-informed commentators and biased pundits, players who get into off-field trouble (all clubs included), players who attempt to copy the acting skills of soccer players and the pretence that these manufactured Internationals actually mean much!
We have in RL a brilliant game and most of its players are athletes in every meaning of the word. They make most other sportsmen look unfit. Many are wonderful role-models and, from my own experience, I know that Rhinos players have made a significant positive difference to the life choices of youngsters in our city. Our game is still one where opposing fans can stand together, chat together, banter together and celebrate or commiserate together. It is still the most sporting game where the players can be the fiercest of enemies on the pitch then have a 'manhug' and drink together afterwards. These 'psuedo' Internationals give players from opposing clubs the chance to work and play together in a continuation of that spirit. For the fans from all clubs it is a somewhat different experience. They have paid good money for a ticket to watch a game which is meaningless in many respects and the brain-impaired may have taken the chance to express their feelings about one particular figure on the pitch, or another, who to them are always going to represent what they dislike about the game, even if he is a disliked player of tremendous skill, an incompetent ref, a daft mascot etc etc. I'm certain there were fans from other clubs as well as Leeds involved.
I love the game and I don't want anything to bring it into disrepute! Let's treasure this game and get back to what really matters - and win tonight in a fair fight with no anctics, cheap shots, acting injured etc and applaud the skills, pace, fairplay and drama of the world's best game.

On everyones assumption that it was leeds fans doing the booing, can i just point out that headingley is not a million miles away from bradford, whose fans are hating tomkins quite a bit at the minute after his antics in the cup game. Sitting on the bench after the (justified) sending off and making hand gestures at the fans round him even though he was supposedly too injured to come back on (something which was used as justification for the length of ban raynor recieved).

It's all a bit hypocritical isn't it. Let's say that the majority of the boos were coming from Leeds fans, then maybe it was a direct response to the jeering that McGuire got in both the Australia game and last years play-off game, which Wigan fans didn't seem to have an issue with. What goes around comes around.

Once again, I don't agree with booing England players at all, but the reaction to it is way over the top considering what has gone before.

with respect Adey,that's a sweeping generalisation of hacks etc ! not all are as bad as you suggest though some are very clever with their wording/quoting when they want to be.

some of us ARE actually honest and try to present the facts in an accurate and unbiased manner whether it be match reports or interviews etc.

Please don't tar all hacks with the same brush...

Hearty congratulations ! you managed to get one bit of that diatribe correct....the rest was absolute garbage.

When you put into print a post-match interview do you print EVERYTHING the player told you or do you select the bits that enforce the reasoning behind the rest of your write-up ?

For instance if you are critical of a particular decision in your report and a player mentions that during a twenty minute discussion with you, would you pick that five second comment to appear in your piece ?

I know I would and I suspect that what Jamie Peacock is reported to have said on Friday night was not the total sum of his offerings.

Although on the other hand, it might have been...

A hack doesn't actually 'print' anything - that's decided by the editorial staff.

I personally note everything that has been said at the post-match Press get together and include all quotes from the coaches or players present (in my case in english and french) in my overall report.The editor or sub-editor then takes what he or she wants from it according to space available and/or their perceived relevance at the time.If I write a 1000 word report maybe only 750 words or so may be used,maybe less.The 'editorial' job,by definition is to 'edit' what's given to them,not automatically include everything presented to them,unless they wish to do so of course.
I personally try not to be critical of any individual,that's too easy and unfair on the 'victim' who can't answer back so easily.I try my hardest to take positives from what I see even if my personal feelings are different and especially when the match is pretty dire...

It all highlights the VERY LOW status of the so called international team. The team does not command an England nomenclature in the sense that RL in this country is a minority sport still confined to its heartlands.
Nobody really has any interest in supporting a so called international team playing against a team of antipodean has beens, especially when the team can't even assert any dominance. I'm a Leeds fan, but the selection for example of Sinfield at SO and a still-recovering-from-serious-injury Peacock as captain was pretty indicative of the paucity available at this level.
Those that turned up did so for the love of the game; to see their club 'heroes' and berate the rival club members epitomised by the abuse of the absolute hate figure (who has undoubted skills, but is ALSO undoubtedly one of the worst cheats in the game). There was no excitement to be generated by watching the same old SL opposition albeit in a different format. I remember the excitement of tours with unknown and unseen talent being displayed for the first time. They were 'alien' and tribal mentality meant getting behind 'your boys'. This was never going to compare.
I think RL is the best team game and is indeed the only game I watch from start to finish: most other team sports bore me after a short period. However, it will never acheive full international status on a home nation basis; it should stop pretending, stop trying to embarrasingly emulate RU and bring back GB for matches against Oz and NZ sides only.

just about sums it all up - great post !

I think this is all a bit of a storm in a tea cup.

Perhaps the booers should have kept their mouths shut. But they have paid their money and in this country have the right to express their opinions as they see fit. JP also perhaps should also have kept his mouth shut as without evidence should not have passed judgement against Leeds supporters.

If this in any way will make Mr Tomkins become a fairer and hence more popular player to match his undoubted talents then maybe there is a positive to come out of all this negativity.

nothing wrong with booing whoever you wish mate - the french have turned it into an art form ! You have a bad game in Perpignan and they burn one of your sheep !

young Sam will learn when he becomes more mature and will be able to distinguish the fine line between cheating and gamesmanship.....

Just a few points.

I was at the game and did not boo tomkins. He had the England shirt on and while I do not like him, I would not boo him. There were Leeds fans booing him as were saints Bradford wire etc.. I think I saw most teams fans involved in the booing. I think this is a mixture of factors. He isn't a nice character on the field, he cheats, holds down and is niggly player, he is also a very good player and I imagine a bit of envy is at work from some fans.

For me I didn't like the booing and didn't join in but it was from all clubs not just Leeds, although I suspect we had our fair share of fans joining in.

On peacock interview I think I agree with G1. he should see club before country and earn his place rather getting spot and captancy on past achievements. For me club football should always come first until you get to the internationals and then the local rivalries should be put aside to support the team. Which I imagine is what he meant.

I would suspect as kirkstaller pointed out had this been a proper full international then we may not have had the booing going on

I was stood on the Carnegie with 4 Cas fans. 4 out of the 5 of us booed him and shouted abuse at every opportunity, the only want that didn't was the Leeds fan. I would imagine he will get the same again today at Wheldon Lane. There were also Warrington & Saints fans giving him plenty.

Just shows how little you know about RL supporters in general and their immense dislike of your little golden boy.

I like Sam Tomkins. He's naturally gifted and an adventurous player with an ability to break defences with skill. He possesses a welcoming competitive edge to his game and is a breath of fresh air in a Super League era defined by mind-numbing mediocrity, dross and 10 metre scoots from dummy half in wide open spaces. Only ts and morons are chelping and booing that he's a cheat. It's called gamesmanship from a player armed with a winning mindset at any cost and I wish we produced more players of his ilk.

Kudos to Jamie Peacock for highlighting what most of us already know about the degree of know-nowt tery and disgraceful behaviour among those who regularly inhabit the murky recesses of the south stand.

I actually agree with most of the post for a change. Apart from gamesmanship. Diving in football was seen as gamesmanship but for me ruins a game. Agree he has a winning mentality.

But to be fair I have heard lots of Leeds fans praising Ryan Bailey for his ability to win a penalty! Which we are slating tomkins for.

For me I don't like to booing. It wasn't just Leeds fans but it would be logical to assume we had more fans there than other teams. I did see all different team shirts booing but I did see more than our fair share of Leeds fans joining in

don't generalise and don't speak for me !

as a neutral I watched him play for W***n at Montpellier - despite his team losing (he wasn't booed at all by any of 9000+ the french fans btw) he came out afterwards and before getting on the team bus took time to sign autographs and pose for photos etc ,especially with the kids as well as us 'bigger' kids - he was a credit to his club and a great ambassador of english RL - thanks Sam for taking the trouble.

I think he's a great player and it was privelege to watch him play.

[size=200i admit it i booed................. [/sizeat BBC radio 5 live.

on Friday i spent the evening in the car on the way to a weekend break and the ENGLAND rugby league team were playing a game and wtf did the bbc have on Russell fuller and steve parry reviewing this weekend sport shows what the BBC think of England RFL and this match

i have no hatered of Sam but i wonder if the rugby gods joined in the booing considering the treatment Danny got going down the tunnel in last years playoffs and a bit of jealousy

Pay your brass and boo if it floats your boat. Personally I didn't..........I'm just too lazy.

To be fair the atmosphere was rubbish on Friday night. Don't know how it came across on tv but it was rubbish at the ground

I seem to remember young sammy wammy being pelted with coins and other objects by Hull
KR fans after inciting them with gestures during your play off game with them last year. I've never seen that happen even to far better players than the saviour of rugby league.

You bring so few across, by next season you will be joining Crusaders, Quins and Cats in having the away end closed for your visit.

I was watching the 06 season highlights recently and you had quite a good following at DW, gloryseekers gone away?

What in 06? The year after we won nowt? 06 the season where we were total crap for most of the season?

Yes, 06, 2nd match in the season so you wouldn't have known that you would be crap.