Good luck to them, i think the RFL should put up good bit of cash to keep sam they suppose to have £8.7m a year profit use some of that to keep him. If every decent player is just going to follow the cash and go RU then we might as well wrap up now as were never going to be able to match them because i wouldnt keep producing these players for them barstewards. We are going to have to find some kind loyalty in players otherwise were doomed. Sky and Sponsors wont keep paying for RL if we cant keep our stars

It wont be such a big loss if JT defects - its not like he was even one of the star turns last year - an average 2nd row that had to fill in at centre due to Gleeson's sacking. £250K for him should pay for a top-class centre for the next 3 years.

What aload of rubbish! I can't believe how people are turning this round to say he's basically no loss. He filled in well at centre last year out of necessity. Before that he was one of the best young second rowers in the game. Name me a SR in SL or the NRL who could score that try at Wembley!?

Losing Joel, especially in the same season we have lost Hoffman is a big big loss to Wigan. To lose Sam to RU would be devastating, though after Saturday I think there will be queue of NRL clubs lining him up for the 2013 SC increase.

Please say this is a trolling effort? Even if it wasn't, save your skin and say it was. What a ridiculous post.

Joel is a top quality back row forward. He is one of the best raw athletes at the club. The try at Wembley says it all. He will be sorely missed.

Anyone that goes to RU is a loss i think, i dont like to lose anyone. I reckon a key thing in signing Joel will be to get closer to sam as sam will be down at union games watching Joel with some of sams interviews of late i think hes already made his mind up his future is in union. They both think the grass is greener. It would make me spew to even go anywere near twickenham never mind mix with them lot and play with them regardless of the money

Saying Joel is an average second row is riidiculous. He is an excellent 2nd row and will be a big loss to Wigan in that position. Stop gap centre, yes but he is excellent in the pack as he proved in 2010.

As to £250k paying for a top class centre for 3 years you are wrong about that as well. You don't get a top class centre for £83k a year.

Losing Joel Tomkins means we lose one of the best athletes at the club. He was our temporary stop gap (mini-project) at centre to replace Martin Gleeson. He was adept at centre, but no world beater. He was however a top quality back row forward. Strong, aggressive, mean fend, pace and pure power. Him moving back to the pack would have been a big boost with Hoffman leaving. He was also part of the leadership group last year. JT was an important part of squad - he will be missed.

The next issue of his departure is the potential influence it will have on our 'star' man Sam Tomkins. His departure would be a bitter, bitter, bitter blow for Rugby League. Rugby League can NOT lose Sam Tomkins. England can NOT lose Sam Tomkins. We'll NOT see another Sam Tomkins for another decade. If he goes - I will be thoroughly depressed and will be completely disillusioned with our game. He's a kid you pay your money to see. How can we improve the quality of our national side, our club competition and our games appeal if our star player leaves for another sport?

What's done is done though. Joel has moved on, Wigan will move on. £250K is a realistic amount and is something I'm content with. We'll have to promote from within to replace Joel and see what we uncover. We'll have transfer money and cap space to be on the look out for any talent that becomes available on the market.

Nothing personal against Joel, but I hope he fails miserably. I hope it is a resounding failure and he has an awful time. I hope he comes back moaning, groaning, thoroughly depressed with how crap Rugby Union is and subsequently he comes back to Wigan and puts Sam (and any other player in the camp) off from moving to Union. It would also make Union think twice about offering big transfer fees/gargantuan wages to RL players.

Great post

Where the bloody hell are we going to find his replacement. Rumours are suggesting its Darrell Goulding.

I like daz as a player but he isnt as good as JT.

They'res not many I can recall making a big impression is RU after a League career, few go on to represent their (or our) country. Fewer still make a mark, and thinking back I can only think of Billy Whizz making any form of status. Jason was not a league player or a union player, he was something a little bit different, is Joel different? NO, is Sam different,? YES. So Joel go for the money and good luck, but I dont expect you to make a big dent in the Union hall of fame, the same as you may have done in League. Will League be poorer off? Yes, in the short term, but we can find another Joel. What we cant find is another Sam.

The trouble is that if Joel's defection goes through without Union being made to pay through the nose for it, then Sam's defection will be that much closer.

I see nothing to celebrate whatsoever in the 'resolution of his problem'.

Id rather develope one of the kids than Goulding.

Mr Average.

As a second row Joels top quality so it's a blow but not as much of a blow as it pushing Sam that bit closer to Union as well is.

Hopefully we can keep Sam for another couple of seasons and in that time Joel will have a nightmare putting Sam off the idea and possibly even coming back himself.

As for a centre replacement it must be Charnley IMO if were looking inside the club. He's big, powerful, fast and has decent hands. He will need help defensively but with guys like Hansen around him and an experienced head like Roberts possibly outside him he should get that.

IL will no doubt have done a good job to squeeze as much cash out of Sarries as possible. If he gets £200k he'll have done very well, any more than that and he will have done a fantastic job of playing a weak hand.

The fact is that because Wigan were apparently only paying Tomkins less than £100k per year we would never be able to argue in court that they had suffered a great loss if he left (following which of course we would not be paying his salary, which we could use to hire a replacement). RL players are relatively cheap to hire because of the SC so any suggestion we might get say £500k (as people have suggested on this board) is very wide of the mark (unless Sarries are so flush with cash they are prepared to pay way over the odds to get their man quickly, which I suppose is just about possible given the amount of money in RU).

Agreed.