pretty sure it was in Joel Tomkins contract that he would be fast tracked to England squad.

....so it's physically easier....



I think that is nonsense. When the ball is in play the game progresses as it does. From maul to a ruck and if you are lucky out to the backs. Otherwise the ball is kicked away. It's pretty predictable what is going to happen in the next phase of play depending on what went before with plenty of time to think and organise the line. In fact that predictability is part of why RU is a dull spectacle that can be try-less between evenly matched sides. There is a real tendency at International level to retain possession and keep recycling the ball until a chink is found in the line or until some infringement brings the game to a halt. In 2012 the Aussies and the All Blacks drew 18 all with no tries scored because that is exactly how the game went despite these two sides supposedly the ones who run the ball.

It makes perfect sense that after 2 years within Union he would be more developed in one arm.

Clive Woodward wrote a column in the Mail yesterday (Friday)
in which he ran through all of the options for the back positions for the England RU team. This is what he said about Sam.
" Outside centre is the one big question mark for this generation of England payers. Sam Tomkins was born to play 13 for England and we should never have allowed him to leave the country to play rugby league in New Zealand".
Woodward has always liked RL players and I think it was him who was instrumental in signing Jason Robinson and trying to sign Rads.
I think Joel might have been a bit p*ssed off if Sam had switched and blocked his way into the England centre position.

You're comparing our world cup, biggest international tournament with a RU autumn international. It's not like for like. Lets see the coverage and hype on the national networks during the RU world cup.

maybe he can see a centre should have some skill instead of being a crash bang wallop guy who cant pass.

No I'm not. I was responding to a part of your post that asserted that national tv networks had not made a strong offer to broadcast our WC and that they were not promoting it. I merely pointed out that one of the national networks (BBC) is showing all England RLWC games (so obviously did put in a good enough offer to gain the rights) and highlights of all other games as well as radio coverage of them all. They are also promoting it regularly including team profile pieces on the news, website and red button pages. During the coverage they are also regularly mentioning that games are being and have been sold-out and the atmosphere at the games (without constant referral to the size of the respective venues that would downplay that statistic). This further sells the tournament as an event to be part of to the viewers.

In two years time when the RUWC is taking place in this country RU will get lots of coverage and hype but like it is now for us that will be their WC on home soil so I don't begrudge them that coverage. They probably will get more as the majority of the media is down in London and the south and caters to its local market and tastes. C'est la vie, at least this time around our WC is on terrestrial free to air tv, is getting promoted on tv, has good crowds including sell-outs and good entertaining games and has been well organised and seems to be catching the public's interest. Unlike in 2000 we seem on course for a positive impact from this WC. Off the back of this WC we could well see much more interest in RL internationals from the BBC and co. in future.

If you think the media will go overboard in 2015 then brace yourself for blanket coverage from the point at which the soccer WC draw is made later this year with coverage in sports bulletins, weekly features on the England team, players appearing on talk shows etc. and adverts for everything from the official football to the official toilet roll of the FIFA World Cup. All that for an England team that don't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning in Brazil. At least the England RU team (and probably Wales too) like the England RL boys have a chance of winning their competition (and the other home nations are capable of taking part in the tournament). Guess which WC will have more coverage though.

Cracker that one

i am sure its no surprise to some but it was a terrible game, full of knock ons and penalties even by union standards. I think joel touched the ball 3 or 4 times and made 5 tackles, how he even has the cheek to say he prefers playing union i have no idea.

If Joel has said he prefers to play Union then I suspect it's because its what those who pay his wages want to hear.
Five tackles and handling the ball 3 or 4 times in 80 minutes for the money he's on, no wonder he prefers Union.

Well being able to pass is obviously a good skill to have but in union (pretty much the same as in league) you need some size to play centre and Joel has it and Sam doesn't.

I can think of plenty of reasons. Despite what happens on the pitch compared to RL, he doesn't have to work a 40 hour week in a boring job as many mere mortals do. He does have a job! It pays a fortune. He still gets to train and keep fit enough to receive more than five passes a match even if he never does. The media think he's great. The media actually notice the sport he plays in. He'll get an OBE or God knows what if England RU win the world cup. Etc, Etc.

And guess what? Those things are exactly why IL is 100% correct to call into question the RL hierarchy and why six clubs walked out of that meeting. The fact JT can swan about in an inferior game an earn a fortune and get all this attention while all the RFL can do is fiddle about with the format is another (one of many) reasons reasons why IL is fed up IMO.

Thats all well and good if you hadn't been brought up playing rugby league and used to getting physical and not frustrated that every time you have got a penalty in good field position the team goes for 3 points. the fact England RU attacking structure are poor that he never got a ball in some good space would also being very frustrated. Its a case of missing what you know, I played League and Union in the same positions as Joel most of the time and i was itching to go back to league.

Spot on DaveO. It would take a very unusual/exceptional/loyal individual to turn down the monies on offer to RL players at the moment.