I dont think he did look very bad, he still looked capable of creating something even though his pack laid nothing which looked like a platform for him.

Unfortunately, at the top (league) level, looking like doing it and actually doing are 2 very different things (as plenty wigan fans know all to well). dont get me wrong, i think he is a very very good player but to say he is on another level to anyone else in SL at the moment is simply not true

It would be an impossible comparison. Props and Fullbacks do very different things.

Who is the best player in SL is all a matter of opinion. Of course Wire or any other team's fans will not agree with Wiganer's opinion. No surprise there. However, we should remember that not so long ago Pat Richards and Sam were top of the MOS awards. Need I say any more?

The fact that people come on this forum to talk about Sam also says it all.

Tonight Sam was awarded a penalty when Flannery was all over him like a rash. People can try and dress up that sort of thing as Sam milking a penalty or his aledged sh**house tactics but it was clearly a penalty by the opposition who were holding him down because they know he is dangerous.

This mythologising about Sam using "sh*thouse tactics" really is the language of the wuss brigade, and nothing more than a transparent attempt to justify the numerous unsuccessful efforts that various teams have now made to take out our most dangerous attacker.

In the last season and a half, Sam Tomkins has been the victim of three savage head-shots, any one of which could have ended his career. The last one was a blatant punch in the face, which knocked him out cold (and we won't go into the embarrassing histrionics by the aggressor when he tried to claim innocence). Sam Tomkins has never done anything like that to any of his opponents. And yet muppets from St Helens, Warringon, Leeds, Hull - all the usual suspects - still have the nerve to complain that he uses underhand tactics.

It's pathetic, and when the likes of Eddie and Stevo start calling it that - which they were last night - then you've got some idea just how pathetic it actually is.

Wigan supporters should cast their minds back a few years when they abused a certain Leeds player in the international against Australia at the DW.

It is a totally different situation. In McGuire's case it was because he was playing crap.

I'd say Sam, Lockers & Pat, in that order.

Roby played last night?

Jesus! And to think I considered you a good poster. Just shows how wrong you can be. I have a 9 year old who spouts less childish cr@p than this.

Childish, so when i say he's not the best player i'm wrong, then when i'm won over by everyone's eloquent debating skills and change my mind i'm wrong.

Is Sam the best tackler in the Wigan team? No

Is his positional sense the best at Wigan? No

Is he the best passer in the squad?
No

Is he the best kick returner? No

The only thing Sam has that is better than anyone else in the team is his side step and broken field ability, an ability that would be ineffective say he went to the NRL were defences are better organised.

Sam is a very good player but say compared to Edwards or Barrett at 6 or Radlinski and Hampson at 1 not even in the same class.

Seeing as people are sounding me out on who i think is best player at Wigan, Lockers, sets the tone and organisation behind your great defence puts in super human effort which goes unnoticed most simply because most people concentrate there rating based on attack, there's a reason why Phil Clarke blows smoke up his backside, he's your most important player and it's not even close between him and Sam.

Infact, it was a big cheer rather than a boo when he got taken off because he was awful. Big difference.

I admit to cheering at that game, but it certainley wassnt directed at McGuire it was aimed at the clown coaching us at the time. I couldnt believe it took so long to get a player subbed when it was obvious that he was having a stinker!!

He's got the best combination of all those skills though, plus a decent kicking game.



Agreed, but that not the argument. We're talking about current players.

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