viewtopic.php?f=28&t=555082&tsmp=1375219259 According to Deano G Tomkins is now the finest british player of the SL era ... Would you agree? I wouldn't

viewtopic.php?f=28&t=555082&tsmp=1375219259 According to Deano G Tomkins is now the finest british player of the SL era ... Would you agree? I wouldn't

Lets be honest we sadly see an example appear on here, who is always on red vee. That man is possibly the same mindset as Deano G. Tomkins is good in fact very good for the competition as it is now. Jamie Lyon did two years in a strong competition and was wonderful. Scully and Farrell once again outstanding in a strong competition. Sinfield and the Paul brothers had extreme influence. You pay your money you take your choice but he is not even top five for me.

You've not even mentioned the greatest SL player of all!

Tomkins has the potential to be up amongst the best, but would need to be one of the outstanding players for another several years to be considered in such exalted company. Given he'll not be in SL beyond this year, it's moot.

But in my opinion I have I named Jamie Lyon. People like KC are legends and greats but I rate Robes just as highly as KC. In part due to the duck eggs he has been packing down with. Its all just opinions and that's good debate.

There is as strong an argument for him being correct as incorrect IMO, Tomkins is a freakishly talented player and his presence in the Wigan side transforms them from also rans to potentially the best side in the competition.

I think Sam tomkins is the best current English player we have and I also think he's got freakish Talent but at this moment in time he's not the best British player ever to play super league.

He's certainly got everything needed to a great but IMO its still to early to call him the "best ever".

I don't even think he's the best british born WIGAN player of the super league era, let alone in super league as a whole!!

Indeed the constraint here is British but some great names have been mentioned already

Farrell was outstanding for Wigan for many year, you could argue a complete player able to play in the forwards and backs as was Scully. Cunningham is another example , arguably at least as influential as Tomkins.

I think Tomkins sticks out at the moment because there is a dearth of top quality players in SL and he is surrounded with mediocrity at his own club.

Tomkins is a very good player but I'm not even sure he's world class yet. I guess we'll find out in the NRL when he has to perform every week against high quality opposition.

Tomkins is a wonderful player. He has an awful lot of talent and makes spectacular things look easy.

Saints fans will now reel off a number of players, 9/10 of whom will have played for Saints. Its very easy to rate a player more highly when yu see them every week.

I will say that Tomkins is complimented by his current situation. In a salary capped game, he is playing in a more modest squad than some stars of the past. A squad that is very well coached (to the top of the league) who tailor and awful lot of their attacking play to give Sam space.
That's not to say Sam wouldn't be a star in the various great teams we've seen in SL era.

Excellent player - he'll be remembered as one of the greats, but I do think the "The Greatest" is something he has yet to achieve.

Why does Tomkins have to play in the NRL to prove he is world class, but Farrell/Scully/Cunningham/others named in this thread didn't?

Tomkins is a very classy player and can do things most others could only dream of, and he must definitely be up there with the best British players of SL era.

That said, the 2 that would stand out for me as better would be Scully and Farrell, both hard as nails as well as skillful and always fared up well against the Aussies. Tomkins is still only young however, and he has a lot of years to develop and get better so could end up being better than both of those by the time he finishes (although personally I hope he gets better in NRL away from where he can do any damage to us)

Because the international game is pretty much dead and the standard of SL is getting worse. Ripping a dreadful London team to shreds is not that tough imo , but lets see how he gets on against the likes of Melbourne , Manly and Souths.

But Farrell/Scully/Cunningham/others played against great sides week in/week out? If anything they played in stronger teams against just as weak sides.

I'd argue the opposite, put him in a team with equally talented players and he'd be even more devastating. Imagine him at full back in the Saints team with Scully, Long, Martyn and Cunningham playing, whilst he wouldn't be the focus as much, he'd have acres more space than he does now.



I'd agree with this, especially if he does go to the NRL and Wigan don't win anything this year.

You may be right, per carry he may be even more deadly, but there's only so many minutes in a rugby league game, put him in our 2000 team and the ball would be spending alot more time in the hands of Newlove and Iro than Goulding and Thornley, if you get my drift.

He certainly has the potential to be one of the best ever however imo you have to do it over a sustained period to be considered for that title. We've had many great players, the likes of Faz, Radlinski for us Scully & KC for you not to mention the many other SL clubs.

I find it difficult to compare positions in RL. For example who's a better player, Sam Tomkins or Roby. 2 outstanding players who offer very different attributes playing very different positions. Possibly the best player to play SL is Peacock but props rarely get recognised in comparison to the 'flair' players.

Is he the best British BACK ever to grace SL

Not for me, but we all have our favourites.

The topic of that link is about O'Loughlin being the best #13 in Superleague at the moment and of that there is little cause for argument.

On the Tomkins, like Eastbourne Warrior says it's almost impossible to say who is better when they play in different positions. You could probably compare Scully and Farrell.

What I would say is that Sam is probably the best fullback I have seen in Superleague and probably the most exciting player (although Jason Robinson would run him close).

Sadly I don't think we'll see Sam in a Wigan shirt again after this season, but good luck to him, he's given me almost ten years of exciting rugby.

And I personally think at his pomp Wello was a better full back than Tomkins or Robinson. Tomkins is a very good rugby league player but as an out and out full back Wello gets it for me. Robinson decent RL winger better yawnion player though

Jamie Peacock .

Over a decade at the top and never a backward step .

IMO that accolade goes to Keith Senior. Would have loved to have seen him in a Wigan shirt.

Senior better than Newlove?

This is where it is difficult to compare again. The way the full back role has evolved Wellens at his peak couldn't run Tomkins close. However as a defensive full back in the more traditional role he was, and probably still is better. Maybe i'm biased bit i'd still have Radlinski over Wellens.