I think the more pertinent question is when are refs going to protect the RFL from Sam Tomkins?

These forum boards need like buttons.

Happens unfortunately when you are the most successful Rugby League team in the UK.

Well I think we have all seen the way that match officials 'sway' towards the home crowd at places like Headingley.

'Tomkins. S' is possibly the best RL player to emerge in a generation or more, but still a large number of so called RL fans are too bitter for whatever reason, to do nothing other than 'slag him off', merely because he plays for Wigan.

He gets booed at Leeds regularly, and apparently, the Saints fans booed him at last weeks non-entity of a game in St Helens. And while playing for England !

If we are ever to beat the Ozzies, it's this sort of parochialism that ensures we remain a minor sport.

Tough tackling yes - dirty tactics NO!

Legends like Alex Murphy, Billy Boston and Johnny Whiteley must be scratching their heads. Especially when Tomkins is playing for England.

As a Wigan fan I love how this has wound everyone up! I think this is just Wane's way of developing an us versus them attitude towards the latter stages of the season. He could have mentioned anyone but the fact it was Tomkins means it gets the most media coverage in the league and will provoke a reaction.

However much people dislike it, the end result is that referees will sub-consciously be looking at every collision Sam is involved in. And nobody is going to target him any more than usual because we have scored most of our tries on the back of defences being unsure of whether he is going to receive the ball or not. I wouldn't think even SL coaches are stupid enough to instruct players to fly out the line and try to put more hits on him, we'd score every set if that was the case.

I think you've hit the nail on the head. Especially with Tommy out injured it takes out a threat. Some players will over read a play an will automatically look at Sam and will try and close him down before he gets the ball. This should create space for what would be a dummy runner to recieve the ball or the fastest slow man in Finch to go through the gap. Good tactics IMO.

Well as you haven't been the most successful team in RL for the best part of twenty years you probably wouldn't have a clue what you're talking about. As a Leeds fan I can tell you what happens to the most successful team, and that is that generally speaking our coaches don't go out and bitch and moan about things - they got on with winning championship after championship.

I think you mean club. Is that what you mean? Successful club? Because Wigan are a successful club, the run of success you had in the 80's and 90's doing a good job of disguising (especially to some Wigan fans) the lack of any prolonged success in the Super League era. I'm just going to assume you meant club.

And in your other posts do you mean to put a big fishing hook emoticon? I'm guessing so...

Oh the Irony!

Just listened to the full interview between Shaun Wane and Radio Manchester, the guy should be charged with bringing the game into disrepute if he carries out his retalitary actions.
The guy will not accept the RFL judgement and from now on his team will playing according to "Wanes World". Listeners ringing in saying he is a total embarassment.

Are you THAT arrogant that you don't think "Tomkins. S" would get booed if he played for Leeds, Saints, Warrington, etc.?

Happy anniversary, its this weekend those years ago you lost 75 - 0