Tomkins is certainly one of the best fullbacks I've seen at Wigan. Up there with Radlinski, Hampson and Henry Paul certainly. One name that hasn't been mentioned on here much is Joe Lydon who was superb at fullback. A real big game player who could turn a game on his own. He could score from anywhere on the pitch. Then there was his amazing kicking out of the hand not to mention drop goals (THAT semi final drop goal from 60m for instance).

I think if you could take aspects of all the players above you'd have the perfect fullback. Lydon's pace and big game mentality, Hampson's defence and freakish ability under the high kick, Henry Paul's unorthodox ball skills, Radlinski's support play up the middle and Tomkins ability to chime into the line and hit the gap or put someone else in.

Joe Lydon waa a cracker. Hope I'm not jinxing Tomkins for the rest of the game, Cats v Wakey but he's been imperious so far.

He's still the best FB in the league for me and a good couple of levels above French.

Bit poor comparing him to French to be homest

With his pace and elusiveness French can do thinks other players can’t. For me, both Coote and Tomkins are overall better full backs, more rounded players. Tomkins is top if the class IMO.

Waney won't be ignoring him, that's for sure.

Wouldn’t be surprised if he’s captain under Wane. He’s all class. We sadly got him for that second spell at a time his body wasn’t right but he’s looking in good nick now and the time struggling with injury has helped round his game.

Why?

If I'd have said he was better than Coote (which is he), would it still have been a poor comment?

Are we not allowed to compare two of SL's top rated FB's.

Funny opposite fans are finally starting to appreciate him now he doesn’t play for Wigan.

Light years ahead of Hardaker, Connor etc. He should be the first name on Englands team sheet.

It’s funny how that works. Micky Mac had the same in the first year or two at Catalans. Sam Tomkins is a legend of this sport. He was done over at least once when he should’ve got man of steel and Wayne Bennett ignored him inexplicably for England on a few occasions. Guys like Hardaker, Connor, Lomax, Widdop etc are very good players but Sam Tomkins is the sort of player you see come round once every twenty years or so. I hope he gets the end to his international career he deserves under Waney. That will be as the first choice fullback and maybe even Captain and he will run the team. We don’t celebrate our top players enough in this country and he’s been one of the best.

Completely agree with you

If he were made of chocolate he'd eyt his self

I would love to see him finish his career off where it began.

Seems really happy in the South of France and who can blame him. Seems to have a nice house, pool and nice weather. He’s got his family with him and can get back over here on a regular basis. He’s pushing for a new deal with them, so a lot will depend on what they can offer.

It’s something for Wigan to keep an eye on but I can’t see it.

Replace someone who loves himself even more, JH, for a couple of years at 6?

I don’t get this obsession with bringing former players back. He shouldn’t have been let go in the first place but he was and we - and he - have moved on.

Agree with this.

Others will counter that "he wanted to leave", but if there was ever a player that we should have used a marquee spot for, it was Tomkins. I don't care if he wasn't the running FB of old, he's a far more rounded player now.

Forget his persona. He's the best fullback I've ever seen at Wigan in over 60 years of watching them. Alex Murphy loved himself but he could play.

You can add Hanley to that list as well.

It's not because they are former players it is because they would improve our team.

So if he signed for Warrington or St Helens you would be ok with that? If he is available and would make us better we should try and sign him wetherbhe has played for us before or not. Same goes for anyone else also.

To be fair at the time he had a lot of injury troubles and wasn't playing anywhere near as well as he is now. They don't have a crystal ball.

I can accept talk of an obsession with signing players back when it’s guys like Joe Burgess, Dan Sarginson, Gil Dudson, Lee Mossop, Joel Tomkins. Josh Charnley (some came back and some didn’t) etc but like Bateman coming back, Tomkins is a top class player and signing top class players is a no brainer if you can afford it and you need the position covering.

I think the ship has sailed with Sam Tomkins due to the lifestyle he has and I sense he’s trying to build up his price with Catalans now via his talk of a love of the place combined with his great form. If those talks hit a snag then maybe it could be a shout but I can’t see it.

I don't know, he did have a few injuries but he was still our best and most influential player.

I know it was his last game for us, but he proved his worth in the GF. He wins us that game with a peach of a cut out pass to Manfredi. Sadly it's not spoken about, or even acknowledged as Dom gets the praise as it's a great story to tell.

Yeah he grew in that last season, often the way! I can't remember how far into the season we were when it was done, I feel like it was pretty early as I remember Radlinski complaining that Catalans had approached him prior to the anti-tampering deadline. At the time I wanted us to keep him, but only if it wasn't as marquee. Obviously later in the season after the deal was done I wished we had thrown loads at him.