We have to build for the future and cannot lose our exciting players with the wow factor. If nothing else it sends the signal out that we are to be taken seriously as a sport and hence makes us a better proposition to attract income/sponsorship.
I would much sooner see some central financial support for a few integral to the future as opposed to the central support for over the hill antipodeans that we have now via Sky SL funding.

Union have a long and proud history of taking the wrong players from RL and then playing them in the wrong positions... seems they can only get the wingers right

There are a few SL players that (if played in the right position) would be sensational in league... well, as sensational as the rules of that sport allow you to be. Luckily, the Union authorities don’t seem to be able to see this

the question is, would Union be after this player if his surname wasnt Tomkins?

good player - no doubt about that - but cant see the value for a Union club in paying a fee + big wages for him, unless they are after Sam too.

What did happen?
He was injured early on but once in the team he was very highly regarded and rewarded.....even as a spent force in RL. I'm sure Joel would be good in RU.....I just hope he realises it is an early retirement and he will hardly see the ball again.

I get the feeling that Joel is going as a precursor to Sam being tempted. He's clearly the one they are after. Getting them both just helps him be happier I'd reckon.

Wigan fans are now saying that if Joel goes, then Wigan should be able to offer Sam a contract outside of the cap to keep him. Why? They could just give him Joel's wages as well instead of replacing him with a player from the NRL.

So England fans. Get booing Sam in the internationals and we can get rid of him too.

Pathetic attitude.

No Joel in the England squad news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 240356.stm

No Joel in the England squad news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 240356.stm

Putting club bias aside, this is seriously worrying.

We will get a transfer fee as he's contracted, but it'll be scant reward for the effort we put into raising him.

God I hate the RFU.

Surely what ever Wigan offered outside of the cap would be usurped by the earning potential that Union offers. The endorsements that national fame would bring , something RL doesn't, would exceed anything our sport could afford to pay him.

We have no moral high ground here. If Joel Tomkins is offered more money to play Rugby Union then it is his prerogative to go and play that sport

The last century saw Rugby Union owning the ‘grassroots’ across the country and a high profile international sport to draw media attention while RL has been vibrant in the North with professional clubs able to attract the best (mostly Welsh) talent to our sport. Whether they like it now or not, none of them came for the love of the sport or the ‘challenge’, they came for the money

For every Joel Tomkins and Kyle Eastmond going to pro Union, there will be hundreds of kids and amateur players being introduced to our sport – the growth at the grass roots has been superb over the last 15 – 20 years and is set to continue

If, as we all believe, Rugby League is the greatest sport of all, then let’s showcase that sport across the country and let people choose for themselves. The open drawbridge between the two sports is the best thing ever to Rugby League in this country whether Joel Tomkins stays or goes

That it is.

The more reasonable fan will appreciate that, it's a short career and if he does go then good luck to him.

It doesn't change the fact though that it is seriously damaging to the sport as a whole, as it seems to indicate a growing trend amongst good, talented young players.

Can you imagine what state we'd be in if, heaven forbid, Sam, Lomax, Roby, Gaskell, Jones-Bishop et al end up following suit?

I trust that was tongue in cheek, otherwise you are a right f@nny f@rt

Maybe they've done what we did with the Adamson brothers and got the wrong one.

This is the last thing we need.

For the good of the game we have to keep our talent or we will end up becoming a feeder club for union,personally I hope Joel and Sam stay in the game even if it's for Wigan for the rest of their careers.

I have no problem with him going to Union, good luck to him, i was happy that he wouldn't be playing for England as i think he is average but looks better because he plays in a good team. I think Union are signing another dud, but they have history of that!

Joel Tomkins is good but not that good and easily replaceable. However compared to the talentless garbage the England team put out in the RWC he will be a huge improvement and he probably realises that as much as anyone. I can't blame him for chasing easy money because unlike Sam he wouldn't be offered much in the NRL.

What Sam Tomkins does would be more of a concern, though if he goes to the NRL in many ways this is a positive for SL.

Great news!

It'll make wigan weaker is S.Tomkins goes and it'll free us of the petulant little rat.

I echo saddened, get booing him I say!

If we can so easily replace the Joel Tomkins of our game, why can we find so many places for such average imports?

players will go to union more often due to the money, don't blame them if they do go but i have more respect for players who reject the union cash rich clubs and stay for the love of our game for less money

He's only been standout in the back row and that's a role easier to fill at present. The worry is it makes it easier to lure sam Tomkins, that's the big worry for English RL.

Is it me or does it seem like a coincidence that Rugby Union are intrested in league players like Joel Tomkins at the same time when England got knocked out of the world cup by France. As far a I am concerned let them throw money at the problem all they like. Rugby League can and will produce replacements like we replaced Ashton alright. However it would help if the salary cap was increased and the overseas qouta was reduced too.

yeah, we produced replacements for Ashton, we are falling over replacements for Ashton. Thats why we managed to give a gig to Semi Tadulala last year

When people say we replaced Ashton, they mean we have a number of good English wingers to select from in the likes of Hall, McGilvray, Briscoe, Charnley, Broughton etc – the oldest of which is 23 and represent the best group of young English wingers for some time (and every one of them is better than the other wingers selected in the England RU World Cup squad)

Fat faced Ashton is rubbish!

He ran away from a tackle against Wakey when Richard Moore ran at him. Tart.

He's also one of the England RU muppets in the sexual harassment accusations in the media.

Good riddance.

That's a bit obtuse; you're transposing the state of English RL onto a club that had lurched into administration off the back of years of mismanagement and was cobbling together a scratch squad.

There are plenty of talented young English wingers who can more than fill Ashton's boots; Hall, Briscoe and Charnley to name just a few.