Great thread this.

+ 1.

Another thread derailed by nonsense name calling etc.

I like Tomkins, and hope he improves all aspects of his game. I'd like to see him go to the NRL where he'd be forced to develop into a better all-round player. The real danger for him (as with all British halfbacks of the last 10 years or so) is that he stagnates as he is because it is very hard to get better in SL.

Danny McGuire was if anything a better prospect at Tomkins' age, and yet he only now appears to be developing some of the skills he really should have had 5 years ago, and is still a bit weak defensively and no great kicking game.

Quote: dirtbag83 "21 games in all comps isn't a full season however you look at it it. Sam only came into the team when Tim Smith got injured at Odsal halfway through the season.'" Sam played a lot of games before Smith got injured. He had been sub for some games, then Smith got dropped to the reserves quite a few times, meaning Sam got to start. I refer you, as ever, to Bilko's statto pages here: wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... ge_id=1509, specifically the team sheets section part way down, which show that Sam started 7 of the 1st 11 games last year at SO, with Smith either on the bench or not playing at all. Smith got injured at HKR, from which point Sam never looked back

Quote: dirtbag83 "21 games in all comps isn't a full season however you look at it it. Sam only came into the team when Tim Smith got injured at Odsal halfway through the season.'" Sam played a lot of games before Smith got injured. He had been sub for some games, then Smith got dropped to the reserves quite a few times, meaning Sam got to start. I refer you, as ever, to Bilko's statto pages here: wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... ge_id=1509, specifically the team sheets section part way down, which show that Sam started 7 of the 1st 11 games last year at SO, with Smith either on the bench or not playing at all. Smith got injured at HKR, from which point Sam never looked back