I don't think his initial denial helps him much in this regard. Life ban should be their initial ruling, downgraded to a 6 month ban on appeal. Would send the right message and he wouldn't miss next seasonicon_wink.gif

Wigan have got in there first. RFL will just say matter closed

On Sunday, I said:



On Monday, via the Wigan PR bod, Sam said:



The invoice is on its way.

For starters you're not a Wakefield fan, that would involve you actually attending matches. As neither Wigan matches were on SKY you certainly didn't see it. That said even if you had been there you wouldn't have seen it because it never happened. Yet another one of your ludicrous made up stories, give it a rest.

Tomkins ripped Wakey to bit's because he is far and away the best player in the British game at present, end of.

I'm not going yo vilify the only British player not in a Wakey shirt (and that's only out of loyalty) that I would pay to see. He can stick two fingers up all day for me. This hatred of him is pure jealousy and pettiness and typically sad.

Wigan like Cas have a habit of bigging up players way beyond their actual ability but Tomkins isn't one.

You're wrong about that one Vasty; I think the more sensible observers are disappointed that a player with all the attributes you've described, which are undeniable, turns out to be a bit of a brainless scrote who doesn't know how to conduct himself.

That's certainly my position - I think he's a brilliant player who has a habit of letting himself down through unsportsmanlike behaviour; this weekend, unfortunately, like the punchline to an old joke about balloons, he didn't just let himself down...

No denying it was stupid, but I simply don't care. He is the first player RL have had since the hey day of Martin Offiah and Ellery (who really was a bad lad) that people outside the game are talking about. Let's not kid ourselves, one of the reasons he's so interesting is because he's a bit of a tw*t.

I'm personally a bit sick of these identikit roll model and frankly dull players we turn out. Just think back 18 month and we had Brough, he was cut from similar cloth but not quite as good and we loved him - warts and all. He reminds me of Alex Murphy in the way he approaches the game.

Long live Tomkins I say and his win at all cost show off at every opportunity mentality and we'll have a few more please. Let's not make being a winner a crime, they can't all be Gareth Ellis nice guys.

All this talk of opposition fans being jealous is a load of rubbish.

When the Kangaroo's are over here, do people boo Inglis & Slater? Does Roby get booed for Saints?

Fans are booing because he's a cretin and doesn't play within the spirit of the game.

Flicking the V's, grabbing the ref, trying to get players sinbinned, taking dives, flicking his legs up in the tackle when on the ground etc etc.

He's a fantastic player and the best in Superleague IMO. It's for this reason his antics are so noticable, he's the highest profile we have in SL. If it was a lesser known, average player, it wouldn't be that noticeable, but Tomkins is now well and truly under the spotlight due to how good a player he is, so everyone can see it.

I agree about his profile, but I do care. For mine, the very fact that he has some media presence and an emerging profile as one of the games exciting superstars means he has even more responsibility to act accordingly.

Are you on about Danny McGuire?



Obviously not.



Yeah, can't be.

No Fishy, I'm on about Sam Tomkins (see thread title).

But that's the point, the world of sport is full of these kind of players so one from RL will hardly get noticed. Honestly Bren do you really want a game full of white hats and no black hats! It's the bad boys who make it interesting always has been. Also let's get it in perspective, he's hardly Joey Barton and he doesn't look old enough to have spit roasted a a page three girl premiership style - he just rather petulantly chucked the 'v' sign which simply made him look silly, even my 74 year old mum was hardly put out by that.

I think we will have to beg to differ, but I want Tomkins in an England shirt being as unsporting to the Aussies as he wants.

But we all know he wouldn't do it. He wouldn't do it in SL if his brother wasn't there to back him up all the time. He'll disappear against Australia.

I'm not sure he'll disappear, as he doesn't seem to lack bottle. He'll have a lot less room to play in though and subsequently, won't stand out as he does in SL.

I take your point about 'characters' in the game Vasty but at this moment in time, as far as the outside world is concerned, the only hats worn in RL are flat caps - we need to get some credible representatives in the media before we're entitled to have them divided into good and bad guys.

Thanks largely to Sky's obsession with him, Tomkins was on his way to becoming that credible RL ambassador; I can't help but conclude that this episode, together with his abuse of officials and the general ill-tempered nature of the game, will do nothing to help reverse the perception that RL is a game played and watched by thick, northern thugs with too many tattoo's and a penchant for vulgar behaviour.

You pretty much just described a majority of players in SL.

Which SL is that? Not the one that I watch every week, that's for sure.

Clearly you're obtuse or watching with your eyes closed.

Examples? I can think of the odd instance, but to say the majority of players behave in that way is wrong. There is an element of Melbourne about Wigan which explains their behaviour, but I don't think any other club is doing any of those things you mention on a consistent or majority basis.

No, I'm just not stupid enough to paint a couple of hundred professional RL players in a dishonestly negative light, in an attempt to justify the foolish behaviour of one.

When, in all likelihood, ''his brother will be there to back him up''?

Will he? Playing where exactly? We have better centres and second rowers around than him.

you missed trapping the arm in the tackle and cannonball tackling.

HTH

YTDH, thanks.

Sam's done a few dreaded ninja tackles in his time too. He loves 'snapping the pole' training at Wigan.

Fined £1,000 but not banned www.dropgoalrl.co.uk/sam-tomkins ... nduct.html

Fined £1,000 but not banned www.dropgoalrl.co.uk/sam-tomkins ... nduct.html