A must read https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/john-b ... 518xo.html

A must read https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/john-b ... 518xo.html

Quote ="Huddersfield1895"A must read https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/john-b ... 518xo.html'" Thanks for the link. He was brilliant again and Sutton went well too, starting the game and getting around 60 minutes in. Bombed a try though!

Quote ="Huddersfield1895"A must read https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/john-b ... 518xo.html'" Thanks for the link. He was brilliant again and Sutton went well too, starting the game and getting around 60 minutes in. Bombed a try though!

It’s really pleasing and depressing at the same time to see him doing so well. He’s a fabulous player and he’s going to have a great career down under. He gave us nothing but his best in every game so good luck to him.

Did we get a fee for him, or did we let him go for free?

He’s had a blistering start to his NRL career, yesterday he made the most meters,most breaks and most tackles and has won the fans over. Sutton has impressed too.
I take pride in it really but wish he was still over here.

Part of me wanted him to completely flop but im thrilled hes doing well. A bigger loss than ST ever was...

I hope he smashes it for at least 5 years down there

I imagine he will be back in 2020 or 2021.
How long can he stay away from his family/daughter?

I don’t agree with that, people seem to forget how good Sam was in his first spell, he was head and shoulders above anything else in the league. Bateman is a top top player but I don’t think he was that good.

Yep, pre-knee injury Tomkins was sensational.

A shadow of the player on his return.

It’s a sign of a top class player that he’s been able to reinvent himself and he’s playing in a totally different way nowadays. You’d take the old Tomkins all day long but he’s still a fantastic player.

Tomkins is one of those players who can really read a game.

Couldn't disagree more. Since 2010 the only times we've won the GF are when Sam Tomkins was a Wigan player. Not saying that he is the sole difference and reason for this, but it's certainly interesting.

Before he left he was easily the best player in SL, not even close. Fans of other teams like to diminish how good he really was because he's so disliked, but my god he was fantastic going forwards.

Couldn't agree more, Tompkins is considered the biggest flop in NRL history, complete waste of a shirt over there, we should have used our money more wisely than resigning Flopkins.

Bateman is already being rated as one of the best players in the NRL, Flopkins came nowhere near..

We need only judge Tomkins in a Wigan shirt and in a Wigan shirt he’s a legend and one of the best players to ever pull on the shirt.

Even if you look at his time in the NRL, he was very good in his first year and had his second ruined with injuries (as well as his first two back here).

Imagine what he would be like without the injuries? The brilliant off the cuff stuff and making breaks for fun at pace and now add to that a good defence and great reading/organisational play. He may not have worked as hard on his weaknesses without the need to but the thought is frightening.

Tomkins was a different player in a few aspects when he came back, some worse but the majority better. I think he came back a far better leader and organiser from the FB role.

Not only do we miss the solidness and ruggedness JB would give us, we miss the leadership, drive and relentlessness of ST. I’d kill for them two back with us.

Even Ryan Sutton who admittedly I wasn’t a huge fan of is going quite well for Canberra. It’s a shame we never saw this type of player when he was wearing cherry and white.

only by people who never saw him play over there. His first season he ripped it up. Second season he was injured and was mis diagnosed and played on with it and we had to fix their bad judgement

ST and JB and to be fair MM were all competitors and winners. We miss that grit and determination when our backs are tot he wall

Massively agree. Tomkins main fault was not following maguire to souths. He was fantastic in that first year in a shambles of a team with no structure. You can’t go from being a massive part of a big structure like maguire implemented at Wigan, to then go to a side like the Warriors.

Massively proud to say our club produced John. Phenomenal player but also a top bloke to boot too. Bet he gave Elliott Whitehead some after we stuffed west bowling yesterday

Howdid the great Tomkins play and read the game today?

Why? Did you not go and watch for yourself?

No, I actually took my mother out for a nice drive around the lakes seeing as it is mothers day

Good for you well done.


As for Tompkins performance, I'm sure youll agree a players career isn't defined by any one 80minutes?

Especially playing with a rabble of mercenaries like he is. I suppose you could throw that at him but he at least cares and you’d never question his desire to compete and win. I thought they were pretty disgraceful today and questions really need to be asked regards a lack of French players in their side. I get signing Tomkins, Bird etc but surely they should be able to produce higher class players than Tierney or Matty Smith.