It builds up hype / talk and thus generates more fanfare when the announcement is made. It would be less 'newsworthy' if it was announced straightaway that he is off back to Wigan but by allowing people to talk and rumour it then somehow makes it more exciting in a backwards way when it is confirmed that he is going back there, as fans / other teams might have got themselves fantasising that it 'might be us'.

Also makes it sound more of a "coup" for Wigan that Phil Clarke can knock one out over on Sky.

If he'd just come straight out and said "I'm leaving New Zealand and signing for Wigan", it wouldn't look like Wigan had somehow fought off stiff competition for his signature.

He's going back to Wigan only other thing is who are Wigan going to offload and where are they going?

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To be sorted in the next few days, It's definitely not union and he must be at an advanced stage of negotiations, I cant see it being anyone else but Wigan.

I assume Bowen is off contract at the end of this season - isn't it as simple as that. Everyone as you were

Agreed, but Tomkins personal terms could force others to be released to get below the cap UNLESS the marquee player proposal comes about.
Due to be discussed/proposed/ratified in June?

2013

Out - Tomkins, Richards, Mossop, Lauaki, Hansen, tuson, prescott
IN - Bowen, (Joel) Tomkins, Pettbourne, Sarginson, Clubb, Bateman, Jordan James, Sam Hopkins

2014
Out - Pettybourne, Jordan James, Goulding, Green, Scott Taylor, Hughes, Dudson.
IN - Patrick, Mossop, Tautai.

2015
Out- Bowen (retire), Burgess

Wigan will not be over the cap. there have been a lot of contract upgrades for sure, but only (joel) tomkins, Mossop and Bowen who have come in will be earning anything large. (Sam) Tomkins(Bowen probably given tomkins money to come over in first place), Richards, Mossop (probably on same contract as when he left), Hansen, Green and Scott Taylor would have all had decent contract at Wigan. I doubt Wigan would find it too hard to fit Sam back under the cap. As everyone keeps saying we keep letting our top players leave and replacing them with kids, i doubt those kids get paid much at all!

i think all the "bluff" is to do with the pre arranged salary IL talked about the other day (i think) this way ST makes it out hes really wanted by other clubs and wigan up the offer. simple

If Tomkins is homesick then they can pay him peanuts as he has no choice but to come back to the poor world of Super League Europe

If Wigan are paying anywhere near the cap for the squad they've got in 2015, someone has royally messed up their contract negotiations.

Wigan are going to push for the marquee player rule supported by Koukash and Moran. The cap will then be irrelevant as far as his return to wigan is concerned

Marquee player rule IN

By plenty

No really

Oh

Interesting to see that Wikipedia has him down as a Leeds Rhinos player. However anyone can write anything on there as it did quickly change to Warrington back to Leeds again.

I could change it to say he's played 200 games for Leeds and was poached from our academy by Wigan if you like... Seriously that is how Wikipedia works...

In fairness that's why I did put "However anyone can write anything on there"

Never quite the same, going back. Rarely hit the same heights IME.

I'd obviously love to sign him at Leeds. He's a superb player, and he's looked pretty good in the NRL when I've watched him (which admittedly has only been bits and pieces of games on t'internet). I'm not sure why people are upset by the idea that him not being an absolute standout in the NRL but being a star in SL is some sort of new evidence that the NRL is a stronger comp. Surely anyone who has watched any international RL for the last, err, 3 or 4 decades could already have told you that.

All that said, it's hard to see him going anywhere but Wigan really. They have first refusal as I understand it (although I'm not sure how that works salary wise?) and I can't imagine they'd need to do much more than let Bowen leave and not take Scott Taylor back from his loan to make it work.

I hope that it doesn't precipitate the marquee player rule, which feels like a retrograde step back to the days of shiny, highly paid mercenaries. Longer term plans to make a higher cap more widely sustainable are IMO the only way to make the steps forward we need. Unless the RFL or SL owned the contracts of the marquee players and allocated them by some sort of NFL-style draft, only a few teams will be able to afford them anyway, and we'll be back to the bad old days again.

I personally never fancied living overseas (thought about it a few years ago, settled for emigrating to the Midlands). He's had a go living and working in another country for a couple of years, decided it isn't for him and he's coming back. Not sure I could fault him for that.

Would you want Tomkins at Leeds if possible ?

Not if it reduces the amount of cash available to spend on the pack which I believe that it would.
Unless Hardaker does not sign a new contract.
I think it's all irrelevant since he'll go to a Lancashire or Cheshire based club.
I include Manchester/Salford in Lancashire.

Given that he'd command a hefty wage I'd personally rather persist with Hardaker - plus I genuinely think he's a better all round fullback. I admire many of Tomkins attributes (physical & mental toughness, tenacity, will to win etc) but these are neutralised by the sinister side of his game. We also have to consider Ashton Golding will hopefully continue his development.

If he was going to play in the halves, yes. The holy trinity is reaching the end of its lifespan. At fullback, in a salary capped sport? No. FB is an area of strength and a marquee name there isn't where we need to invest.

Will never happen though.

Wigan could afford Sam Tomkins without the "Marquee Signing" element last time, maybe we could this time. As far as the SC goes, Bowen and Burgess will leave and Bowen is reputedly on a fair wedge. There's also a few out on loan who may not return which if Sam wasn't coming back would have come in from loan. Hughes at Hudds amd Burke at HKR are two.
There's plenty cap space given the end of season movements.

Wigan may well use the Marquee to bring in another top class player, who knows?

He will go To Wigan and I can understand all the speculation too.Im just pleased he's not going to Union

99.9% sure he will do, but i would love it if he went to say Salford or Wire.The Wigan board would go into meltdown they are already on edge having to wait for the confirmation!

having lived in NZ for +10 years I can understand why he would get homesick. NZ is different and you can get culture shock. The distance is huge and trips home have to be planned and are time consuming. So after 2 years and a number of injuries maybe it has just got too hard? I for one cannot comment on his wife/immediate family and how they settled etc. What I can comment on is that the pies in NZ are awesome. Even McD's offers a decent pie! - but no beer though...