Just done a straw poll of 7 colleagues where I work (north east england), all of whom attend various sporting contests including union games, and not one was able to identify Tomkins correctly although most guessed he played league as they know that's my game of choice.
Re household names, the parochialism within the game doesn't help. Whilst some sort of consensus has been reached that Tomkins is a decent player, I'd struggle to name many others that fans would agree upon. Hardly surprising that the media are reluctant to develop this theme, given that their a high proportion of their core audience is likely to ridicule them for talking up someone's talents, no matter who that player is.

Maybe they tuned into to see whether the roof would blow off it again during the game

True.

I think it is important that we try and build up the players profile as a whole, focusing on one individual is a mistake, Tomkins, as good a player as he is, people would still argue he isnt the best player in the league, and a fair proportion of those who would argue he is the best player in the league would argue he isnt that much better than others. Focussing on Tomkins simply sets him up for a fall. If everything is about how good Tomkins is then people will mock him when Wigan get over-ran by St Helens and James Roby bosses it. Or when Sinfield lifts another trophy.

As much as we need to push Tomkins, pushing only Tomkins is counter-productive. We should be pushing Gaskell and Lomax as top quality young halfbacks the next England pair. Kallum Watkins is probably the first young centre in a long time who looks to not only have the skill but the physicality to stand up to southern hemisphere sides. Zak Hardaker looks like he shouldnt be playing RL, he looks like he is made of spaghetti and will snap if he is tackled but his skills and speed means they cant line him up, Ryan Hall is a monster, speed, size unbelievable agility. Tom Briscoe, Ben Harrison, even the pantomime villainy of Ryan Bailey has a place in the games story

The game needs to set the narrative of these players. It needs to tell the story around the game. It needs to get this information out there so more and more and more and more people know more and more about the game, so that a person who doesnt really know much about the game knows Ryan Hall is a world class winger, they know that means he is bigger than he should be for the speed he can run and the agility he has. So they can appreciate his skills in the way we can, and when he does that to Tomkins they know it was special because they know Tomkins is also a good player. The lack of profile and narrative for our game is one our biggest failures in marketing the game.

And stupid as he's going to leave regardless of how much money everyone throws at him.

Nice to see Sky trying to raise viewing figures by going for the My Little Pony market in flashing up an epilepsy-inducing rainbow at the bottom of the screen after every tackle.

This, times 10.

Realistically, there's a limited number of players who would interest the media: Tomkins (talent), Hall (talent, size, intelligence), Foster (talent and hair gel), Burrow (talent, height), Sinfield (his success, articulate-ness). Potentially Lomax (talent) and Krasniqi (the Albanian angle).

Union converts (esp. if they were under 30) and Londoners (like LMS) might also get the odd article now and then.

i think the profile of the game is growing and its not just because of one player for whatever reason more people are seeing the game for what it is the highest level of rugby and not over hyped rubbish. we shouldn't let up on it and the rfl should push as hard as they can and push some more. i went away for a weekend to a northern emirate (fujairah) very small with not a very big ex pat comunity and i was trying to find the wigan v leeds game and i come across 5 other people trying to find the game in the hotel and only one of them was ENGLISH!

We aren't growing because of one player, it helps but is simply a small contributing factor! Shame Sky give us peanuts, I reckon we are undervalued in comparison to other sports. Its time we get properly recognised by the media, we deserve national exposure, non of this Super League show is only for northerners, no more tiny little stories tucked away at the end of sports sections of newspapers.

Things would be easier if the London franchise finally kicked on though, sadly their current back room staff seem massively incompetant.

It would help if fans and commentators alike could promote Burrow ( singular ).

Hardlt peanuts. The football league's deal was reduced by £26m.