Come on everyone, let's calm down here

A rugby league player (face facts, they're not exactly known for their brains) makes a crude hand gesture....let's open the gates to the Tower of London and have him incarcerated.
It's been done before, it'll be done again.

I don't know why some want him banned. I bet these people have NEVER joined in in an abusive chant or shouted something abusive themselves at an individual player

My mind goes back to a league game v Widnes @ home in the run up to our Wembley trip in 90.
The Wids had just scored at the Railway end, and were walking back to the Fletch to defend the kick off, when the Fletch went into a chorus of "Emosi Koloto, he's a w@nker, he's a w@nker"...to which Koloto fiddled with his genetalia and pointed back at the Fletch...cue 1500 people wanting him tarred and feathered and fed to the lions....PATHETIC. If you can't take it, don't give it.

It's about time SOME people "grew a pair", and stopped getting so easily offended (especially when they've been abusing the players themselves).


Oh, and don't give me any of that old pony "there's kids watching". The kids are the worst culprits for the bad language on the terraces (when they're not too busy texting, or having their backs turned to the action)

Nah. Let's not calm down. Hangin is too good for him.

And the RFL are supposed to do something about that. Hence the old "the HJ is a family....etc". According to a steward at one of the games, they have a load of extra forms they have to complete for the RFL if they see/hear any foul and abusive remarks from the crowd. It all comes on the back of the Equality Act a\nd also the problems Cas had with remarks made to Gareth Thomas

Left I agree with you to a certain extent. I enjoy a bit of banter and I like it when the people on the pitch give a little stick back (so I know the insults are really sticking). One of my faves is the recent Phil Clarke embarrassing himself at the south stand one. Also, deep down, I want him banned cause he is good. Players don't know what to do with him; including our defense. Lose him and, just like us losing monas, they really struggle for spark.

However, from an objective point of view, you are a little off. This isn't 5000 fat northerners egging on a player in a 100 year old stadium; where the onlt people who care if said player reacts are the few in the stadium.

Sam 'no brain' tomkins, on the biggest stage of the rugby league year, flipped the vs, to the camera that was right in front of him. From the bbc's perspective; there are many people. Not familiar with the match day experience, sat down eating their lunch with the rugby. You can be cynical if you want but it is illegal and bad for the bbc's image to have a ratboy swearing to young kids, tweeners and the elderly on a saturday afternoon. They will be annoyed.

From the rfl's perspective, the game, as I have said, is the biggest coverage the rfl and rugby league will get. National channel on bank holiday weekend. Their sole job is to get the highest viewing figure possible for that match. Having sam swear on that; when they are most open to the casual viewer, brings back old stereotypes of a gruff, working man's game; where the players don't really have manners. Which belies the great lengths thr fl have gone to to promote a family game and create an image of openess. As cynical as you are about the family values of rugby league, that is the gimmoick and they have to make sure stupid stuff like what sam did doesn't ruin that. It is a battle to convince people that rugby league is an intelligent game played by fit and cunning men in a safe enviromemt. We must rememeber that sam flipped the vs to a lot of kids etc in that stand who weren't even booing him. That's right he was being booed, so he reacted! Shame really!

Sorry about any dumb mistakes I am on my telephone and my eye sight is poor!

Bloody hell rogues has not commented on this thread yet im sure his expert opinion will be on here soon although im sure he will write something like tomkins didnt put the fingers up amd your allowed to do that on national television whats your problem?

Did Briers get banned for his "one fingered salute" a few years ago? Don't think he did and if you wire fans thought that was fine then you're all being a bit hypocritical tbh.

Hardly all of us, is it? Plenty of us have said he shouldn't be banned

Putting the gesture to one side, he could have done himself a favour if he'd 'manned up' after the game and just apologised when given the opportunity, instead the BBC report that he 'doesn't know what they're on about'. I think people, certainly RL fans (not this place, sure) would have had a degree of understanding for him, given the abuse he took at Leeds etc, if he'd just said "Yeah, apologies for that, I let the occasion get to me, with hindisght I'm not proud of that and I'd like to apologise etc etc". A lot of this would have gone away, instead he's chosed denial.

As for Joel's comments, there was a lot of niggle in that game yesterday, Bailey heavily involved, Joel plays his part. He's now a serious rival to Bailey as the most niggly bloke in SL, he's involved in everything that doesn't represent Wigan well. Many of the Wigan players yesterday could be seen pulling both Tomkins away from situations, Hoffman in particular was very keen to drag them off and obviously to concentrate on the game so I guess there's a bit of kettle & pot.

For me, I thought a lot of the niggle around yesterday seemed to stem from that whole patronising someone when they make a mistake, patting them & ruffling hair whilst laughing and cheering in faces. It's been creeping into RL for a while. Both Bailey & Tomkins are buggers for that as well.

I'd say to teach him a lesson all opposition fans should put complaints into BBC and Ofcom, not something that should be seen at that time of day.

makes him and us look small time.

Sam Tomkins waited 12 months for that he did witness Lee Smith score a last minute try last season in the Challenge cup to knock them out of the comp,Nothing in it for me if your gonna give it then you have got to take it simple really.

Fans think they have some god given right to insult players their wifes and familys etc then when some player retaliates theres a massive outcry of ban them etc..

Football is a prime example next time a player goes and takes a corner kick look at all the hand gestures of the opposing fans and their twisted faces towards one player who is taking a corner against their team unbelivable.

some people will moan and complain about anything we had it with briers now the pies will have it with sam

Not that bad to be honest. I'd be alot worse if I was him.

I hope he's charged and receives the same punsihment as Lee Briers did for doing the same thing.

he didnt do the same thing