People say this when ever anyone comes out with something like this. But the same people pan the management for having no vision. Sir Clive realises that it's not about the 6 nations. It's about 2015. They are all young lads who will be around for 2015, the best thing for English rugby union is to get a group of lads who will play together for 4 years. If ford and Farrell are going to play in 2015, they need to be integrated into the team as soon as, and if that means losing a few games over the next year or so then so be it.

The selection of Sam in that team just goes to show how highly he is rated by the other code.

5 games at premiership level and you agree he should be in an international fly half? Flood is 26 and would still be playing at the top of his game come 2015. This is nothing more than sensationalist drivel Sam Tomkins will never play in the Six Nations whilst under contract at Wigan.

I don't think that team was 100% correct but I agree with the ideas behind it. In the long run I also think ford will be a far better player than flood. Cipriani is a better option than flood. Flood is never going to be a top level fly half. We need to think what is the team that can win the world cup in 2015, not what team can win the 2012 six nations.

If your talking about future fly halves it would be Owen Farrell before any one else, and Cipriani he's had one good game at international level the guys a liability Flood is far more the complete fly half than both him and Farrell currently.

Maybe - and I doubt anyone has thought of this - that it's not necessarily a prerequisite to play that sport full time in order to be picked for your national side?

Maybe Sam IS free to be picked to play for England RU, despite plying his trade in RL.

Do you honestly believe Sam would be allowed to play on Saturday 4 February for England RU in the six nations when Wigan have a game against Huddersfield the next day?

So do you think our Four Nations 6, 7, 9 & 13 should have been O'Brien, Powell, Milner and Laithwaite?

I agree with this point, you picked a team to WIN games full stop, developing a team comes with time and a player should only be selected when they are ready and good enough!

Why not if he and Wigan make money out of it?

Not saying it's right - just that it's possible.

Well New Zealand took the same steps in building towards a world cup many years ago, and look how that has worked out. Australia have already started building towards the next WC with o'Connor being played at 10. Wales were already building towards 2015 before this world cup, it just so happened that they played better than even themselves could have imagined.

This has been the problem with English rugby for far to long now. We want to win each match with no progression towards the next world cup. We have the chance to get something in motion for the next WC with forwards like Hartley, laws, marler, corbisiaro, Gaskell and Matt Mullen. Add to that young backs like youngs, goode, Farrell, Manu tailagi, Ashton and Simpson.

We also have quite a few players who are young enough to be around for a long time with a number of caps already like Haskell, croft, cole and wood.

But now is the time that we have to figure out the direction we are going, with respect to style of play and personnel.

James O'Connor is young yes but he's been an international for a few years now and was good enough to play at the time of his first cap, Ford is not even deemed ready for a premiership start never mind an England cap!

People that think Sam Tomkins' contract concerning the not talking to RU/NRL clubs is anything more than a gentleman's agreement are deluded.

shouldnt this be in the "OTHER SPORTS" section?

im sick of seeing Union threads........my sports LEAGUE....thats why i use this forum, and not a Union one.

Sam can't speak to Union for 3 years, it doesn't stop Union speaking to Wigan though, they call up, have one of their very rich backers pool in a million each and offer it to Wigan.

People are so paranoid about Sam Tomkins on here. It does make pretty amusing reading though.

If that is actually true, IL's crediblity is hanging by the slimmest thread imaginable.

But then I suppose that's the sort of amateurish deal he's been making all his life. You can tell that from the latest 17 million quid he's pocketed this week.

Even so, I wouldn't have believed it if you hadn't told me.

It would be a restraint of trade if Sam Tomkins challenged it.

No it wouldn't?

What would? Asking him to fulfill the terms of a contract that he agreed to and voluntarily signed?

If you genuinely think Ian Lenagan has made Sam Tomkins the most highly paid RL player in the Northern Hemisphere on the basis of a handshake, you are the one who is deluded.

Anyone that believes an employee can sign a contract that says you can't speak to certain other employers is deluded. I'm sure the actual employment contract is fine, but the media soundbyte i'm on about is illegal.

I'm sure Lenagan will be massively relieved to hear that.

Especially after the recent "non fulfillment" of JT's Wigan contract , I find it bizzare that anyone can seriously talk about a contract being "legally enforceable". Anyone who thinks that Sam will be unable to speak to RU clubs on the basis of a written contract is deluded.

You'd better go and tell Bradford and Harris to get all their money back off Leeds then.

You're missing the point here. Both Leeds and Bradford operate under the "rules" of the RFL.

Replace Bradford with Leicester Tigers and the argument falls apart.

If that is the case why did Sarries pay us a transfer fee?