who the fooks? madge? homer simpsons wife?

There is no doubt today Sam Tomkins would of been put on the radar of NRL clubs.

Anybody questioning the ability of Sam Tomkins got a few answers today. The guy is absolute class.

Sam put himself in the very top tier today on the greatest stage in the World.

Yep. Never watch Super League over the last few years. He could make it over here. As could a lot of the England players.

If Thurston, Slater, Lockyer, or even Benjo Marshall or Foran had provided two back of hand flick passes to set up two tries, everyone would have got through a box of Kleenex.

An Englishman does it...

my favourite post ever

I don't think anyone has ever doubted his ability. It's his morality and future career aspirations people have a problem with.

Tomkins was the stand out player today. FACT.

his morality is personal opinion.

and show me without selective quotes where he has stated his future career aspirations.

His choice of agent and dining partners are enough proof of that.

His one hand passes today were only because he had an Eden Park RFU catalogue in his other hand.

So he goes out for dinner with his agent! So what?

Clearly cant accept a great player can you?

So this didnt happen with Kieran Cunningham ?

he would soon learn and adapt

Being over here. I'm not aware of either of those things tbh. What's he done?

Nothing on either account. But he is a Wigan player of course, that's enough to be hated by most posters on here

You mean for England?

He means in the game and he's right.

Tomkins would be a shining star in the NRL and he wouldn't have to change his game, attitude, morality? or anything else.

The Ausies knew he was a threat before the game at the weekend and he still tore them up almost every time he got the ball in hand.

He made one clean, his elusive running was largely restricted to running laterally and he was far less effective in the second half when the England pack was not providing such a strong platform. Tomkins contributed less to the england performance than most members of the English forwards.

Go watch the game again, this time with your eyes open.

If that is the case why was he not man of the match?

He did some good passes and beat a couple of players and made half breaks.
He has a fair game.
Thurston and Smith did far better.
The Aussies are close to nicknaming him "The Crab" the way he crabs across field and gets tackled in the same point from his line only 30 yards across the field.
How many of the Australian Tries did he stop? its the fullbacks role to defend as much as attack.
In 10 minutes Slater stopped a forward on the try line and stripped the ball from him and then put his body on the line attempting to stop a much larger player from side on resulting in a multiple break of his Collarbone.

Tomkins was ineffective in defence.

How many clean breaks did he make? Why did his impact lessen in the second half?
If he was tearing up the Australians why did he make so fewer metres than other backs ?
The Australians found him difficult to tackle in the first half but his running was mostly lateral.

A fullback is more of an attacking weapon than a defender. They have to be fast, elusive, good evasion skills, have a good reading of the game, have good timing to be able to hit gaps in attack, and a bit fearless too.

Making tackles is obviously a part of the game, but it's not a major part of what a fullback is expected to do. For the Inglis try, for instance, would you have expected Tomkins to have made it accross to the other side of the pitch in time to make a try-saving tackle? Impossible. He did make a try saving tackle on Thurston(?) though.

Oh, and despite Slater putting his body on the line for the 1st Hall try, he failed - Hall scored. Ineffective in defence?

Sam T would go well in the NRL, but to do this he would have to become a bit more direct instead of running laterally. The fact that he runs sidewards a lot and does well applying it for Wigan says a lot about some of the SL teams lack of decent defence. But he definately has the allround game to shine down under. A lot of the good NRL fullbacks are elusive with good ball skills. Sam definately falls into this bracket.

One clean break, one assist.

His impact lessened because the Aussie pack was on top because England had three injured forwards.

He didn't make 'so fewer metres than other backs':

Metres:

Yeaman 110
Chase 108
Hall 108
Tomkins 93
Briscoe 90
Reed 54
Sinfield 40
Widdop 29

A comprehensive breakdown of Sam Tomkins attacking game agains Australia.

What's significant throughout the game is Australia's anxiety in defence when he receives the ball and without doubt Tomkins presence in the line even when he doesn't have the ball creates space out wide for others.

6.30 gets the ball in his hands for the 1st time and sends Chase on a 30mtr run

7.00 receives ball from Sinfield and beats Inglis, steps round Thurston, hands off Watmough and is caught, just, by a recovering Thurston who has to hang on giving a penalty to Englanfd inside the Aus 20

7.50 Tomkins comes into the line forcing an anxious Lawrence to rush up leaving a 2v1 outside which Yeaman bombs by coming inside.

9.50 chases Sinfield kick to the I goal, his pace forcing Inglis to put the ball out for a drop out.

10.29 joins the three quarter line as England attack, Boyd is so aware of his threat that he actually comes in field and tackles Tomkins without the ball being within 5 mtrs of him. This leaves Hall free and Sinfield picks him out putting him in at the corner where Boyd should have been.

19.30 receives the ball from a Lockyer bomb inside 10mtr area, sees a gap and accelerates between Thaiday and Lawrence who both get to him but can't stop him. Beats Smith with a double step then steps past Williams before being tackled 35 mtrs out.

23.16 Joins the line 20 meters out and is taken high by Thurston

25.30 Receives the ball on Aus 10mtr line, Lawrence rushes up and put a big shot on him but Tomkins shrugs him off and comes infield where he's tackled by Watmough

33.30 picks up a lost ball from JJB makes 3 mtrs before being tackled

38.45 receives a pass from Wilkin beats Thurston, steps out of Inglis tackle, makes 10 metres and sucks Lewis in, backhanded flick to Reed who puts Hall in for a try.

41.16 goes from acting half picking up 5mtrs

47.10 receives ball from Chase, quick catch & pass creates space for Yeaman who does the same and Briscoe scores but ruled out for double movement.

48.35 picks up on own tryline from a downfield kick by Aus, rounds Smith and gets outside of the 10.

50.00 gets the ball off Chase with two defenders right in front of him, steps round Smith who despite getting hands on him can't bring him down, crabs across field and gets tackled by Watmough and Thurston.

55.24 takes a drive at first man just 2mtrs off England line and picks up 7/8 metres

56.03 takes the ball at 2nd man to feed Widdop

57.50 receives the ball in broken play picks up 5mtrs but should receive a penalty as Watmough tips him upside down in the tackle.

59.00 takes a drive on the 2nd tackle as forwards haven't got back, picks up 10 mtrs

66.33 gets the ball 30mtrs out, pulls in Thurston and flicks the ball inside to Reed.

68.00 gets in a 1st man feeding Chase outside him.

75.20 receives the ball at 2nd man feeds Heighington into a gap who breaks the Ausie line and picks up 10 mtrs.

75.45 gets an inside ball off Sinfield sucks in Thurston, Boyd & Williams, who gets a decent hold on him but can't prevent the backhanded flick to Heighington who scores.