Sam's on 5Live now.

'in 3 years time i'll sit down with Ian Lenegan and decide whether I want to go to the NRL or stay with Wigan'

Great that he didn't even mention yawnion as an option.

www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/no ... ur-nations Quote Tomkins to be promoted as RFL's 2013 face of the sport'" Quote But whereas the senior Tomkins will now head for Saracens after the Premiership club agreed to pay a transfer fee of £250,000, the junior one has accepted an upgraded deal with Wigan thought to be worth around £300,000 a year and which will allow the Rugby Football League to promote him as the face of British rugby league ahead of the 2013 World Cup'"

www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/no ... ur-nations Quote Tomkins to be promoted as RFL's 2013 face of the sport'" Quote But whereas the senior Tomkins will now head for Saracens after the Premiership club agreed to pay a transfer fee of £250,000, the junior one has accepted an upgraded deal with Wigan thought to be worth around £300,000 a year and which will allow the Rugby Football League to promote him as the face of British rugby league ahead of the 2013 World Cup'"

So , have the RFL changed the salary cap rules ? , and neglected to tell everybody

, or is this a ' central contract ' ?

Surely it would be sensible and prudent to actually announce what any rule changes are , before you let clubs exploit them ?

That is Nigel's homework for tonight. Gotta have a 17 page ammendment to the bible, complete with legal references and long, preferably latin words by the morning for distribution to the other clubs.

I smell a rat...

I didn't hear that bit. I only heard the latter bit, when I did hear him say that he hadn't thought of the NRL at present and almost seemed to say he had no interest in going to Australia. Maybe I was talking it out of context, not having heard the earlier part?

I didn't get the sense he fancied the NRL.

In 3 years he'll either stay at Wigan or go to Union IMO.

He's just being cautious. He's getting paid a lot to stay where he is. But if his brother enjoys himself in Union, don't expect him to stay.

I suspect at the heart of the 'partnership' with Saracens is an agreed fee for Sam on a defined date. The RFU will be bankrolling that signing for sure.

would sam be such a good union player anyway? Where would he play? Fullback ?

It's the game of league that allows him to showcase his abilities.... Union would be coaching that out of him straight away.

[i"we dont want none of that elusive running son..... remember... if the ball comes to you.. you KICK it as far as you can down the other end of the pitch.....then wait for the applause"[/i

That's hardly likely to happen though is it?! Joel may enjoy the bigger salary and the higher profile he attracts but I can't recall many ex-RL players saying they enjoyed playing the game of union...

I always thought that Joel would make the better union player, due to his size and strength. Hope we never find out tbh, I'd rather Sam went anywhere other than Union...'cept Saints.

Why does Sam Tomkins have to make us wait 2 or 3 years before he sods off to Union? Go now.

The sooner this odious little $h!t is out of our sport the better. I've been watching RL since 1982 and i don't think there's EVER been a player so unpopular with fans of all clubs. (except the pie gobblers of co)

And it's all down to his arrogance and attitude.

Didn't most of us get over this a while ago? Even Saddened has said this is a good thing.

I've been watching rugby league for over 50 years and may I say it's a pleasure watching a talent like Sam. I met him when I took a party of schoolchildren to the DW a few years ago. He was excellent with them and we had a great day out.

I'm no legal eagle but I'm totally baffled by this super contract, did his and all other players contracts say they can talk to any clubs they want about a move? If so what is the point of a "contract".

You are joking right.

You want Sam to leave our game to an inferior product and show the sporting world that RL is becoming a feeder club for the union ranks.

This post has to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever read on this site and that says something.

also..... i don't think he is the real Bruce Forsyth.

Surely not?!

I haven't seen him post 'good game'... or 'nice to see you... to see you.... NICE' once.

Can he be banned on those grounds then?

C'mon, if you are gonna have Bruce_Forsyth as your username you gotta at least make a few jokes.

The haters really need to just accept already that Sam Tomkins is the best thing seen in this country for a long time and his only going to get better.

he hasn't even got a brucey avatar.

FFS. He's just a really good player. The way some on here go on about him, you'd think he makes Billy Slater look a bit average.

He's an excellent player, but he's not the RL messiah some make out. It's difficult to compare forwards and backs, but it could be argued that the likes of Burgess and Ellis are just as good in their respective positions as Tomkins is in his. All this Eddie and Stevo fuelled hero worship is a bit weird, if you ask me.

...he's a very naughty boy!