how would you nullify the threat of sam tomkins ......

You can't.

I think Tomkins is most dangerous returning the ball, particularly because the line of defence is broken up and tired, but at any point where the defence breaks up he takes advantage. I would say that we really have to make sure we keep our defence as solid as possible, at all times, and keep the number of missed tackles to a minimum. I know that probably goes without saying, but it's more important against Tomkins, and I think that's what makes him such a good player, that there isn't much you can do to counter him.

Specifically for returning kicks, I would hope that Briers can put the ball as far from him as possible, giving us more time to form up and close him down before he can pick it up. Charnley is a better option to kick to but not by much - is Gelling still on the other wing?

gelling has been replaced by thornley, who's a 3/4 by trade, if not an out n out winger, might have to check on that.

as for Sam, bomb the be-bhudda out of him. Thats if we can get near enough to do so.

You can't nullify him, but kick the ball properly (ie. not an easy floated kick straight into his hands) and you will not provide him with the opportunity to be at his most dangerous (recieving an easy catch with an open, broken field).

Tomkins doesn't do kick returns. He avoids them as best he can. He runs from dummy half at tackle 1 if the play the ball was quick enough. To defuse that threat you need your marker defence working over time from tackle 1. If the referee allows slow PTBs then he is much easier to control.

like we usually do.... by scoring lots of tries.

Get Mr Moran to buy him. Alls fair in love and war.

That's true, I remember wondering about why he had stopped, was he worried about getting tackled? Slow PTBs will help stop him but they would hinder Monaghan too, so I think we'll be okay either way around - just as long as when people fly out of the line they actually make the tackle instead of making an idiot of themselves.

Simples, turn ST around on the kicks or kick the ball high. What he needs is a visit from Westwood, Hill & Carvell on the first return to welcome him. Let's ask ourselves this question, how will they nullify Brett, Joel, Atkins, Briers, Myler, Ratch, Monnas, need I carry on?

The same way every teams does. Strong defense, without massive holes after forcing a slow PTB. Then you can laugh at him making 20x more yards side to side than forwards; like a crab.

Give him bombs to defuse (he can't handle them) and flaunt his many defensive weaknesses.

Easy on paper; just have to keep it up for 80 mins.

find touch with the kicks or find space simples

~On that point, we could do with one of them putting hock on his , the first time they do that double dummy runner set move, so he thinks twice about running as a blocker like he did criminally at the DW earlier this year, not that it did them any favours in the end.

them ones where he normally runs around or inside centre/halfback defenders?

Any tries scored, right out by the corner flags, maximum difficulty for Josh.

You'll never keep him totally quiet but then you don't need to. When he's not done much in games it's normally been in defeats for us and they've come on the back of teams not allowing us to physically bully them and by keeping the game in our half.
Its all in the pack battle for me when you talk about the key to stoping Tomkins. Win that and you get ample opportunity to test him with short range attacking kicks (especially bombs) to try and force errors and by us starting sets in our 20 you drain his energy in the area of the field we wouldn't want him doing too much work in. If you kick from deep Wigan protect him by getting Charnley to do his donkey work but get in our half and he doesn't have that option.

Wire have done well against Tomkins because your forwards have won the battle more often then not.