I've been telling you about this for weeks. I posted on here about how they both spent time with Saracens twice during the season on their days off from Wigan.

Au reviour I say.

If they go, they go. Anyone going has nothing to do with Chase being picked as Schofield's spouting more the 'challenge' (read: money0 and 'opportunity' (read: little chance of bagging a royal in league) and the other guff they say.

If I was Joel Tomkins I would look at what happened when another of Wigans fans favourite left the club, Andy Farrell and switched codes, it rarely works out and in my opinion for Sam going from league to union is a big step backwards.

Joel*

Joel Tomkin's asked not to be selected for England for 'personal reasons' www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcRxzsJe ... ture=feedu

Joel Tomkin's asked not to be selected for England for 'personal reasons' www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcRxzsJe ... ture=feedu

Ditto

We spent enough years raiding rugby union for talent. Any RL player who wants to switch codes should simply just go and do it. There'll be others to take their place.

Can Wigan command any sort of transfer fee for him to get out of his contract?

more than likely. RU had to pay a lot for the likes of Harris (£1m) and that

as did Bradford

Why do Union want him, do they not watch him play and SL and see him make numerous mistakes and give away penalties???? When i watch this kid, yeah he is big and strong but i get really frustrated, usually forcing the pass and doesn't seem to have a decent rugby brain between the ears.

Yes, he'll fit right in with England RU

Very True!

We can't lose his brother to RU, whatever it takes.

Joel is very replaceable, Sam is a one off so lets get behind him in the 4N, lets show him how much England needs him.

If you think that would persuade him to refuse any lucrative offer, you're madder than Jack McMad.

Every player's a one-off and none are worth central contracts or any other such nonsense. If they want to go, wish them well, move on and find their replacement.

All we can hope is that for the time being only Joel switches codes, quickly realises what a bag of sh*t union is, and convinces his brother not to follow him to the dark side

We have to build for the future and cannot lose our exciting players with the wow factor. If nothing else it sends the signal out that we are to be taken seriously as a sport and hence makes us a better proposition to attract income/sponsorship.
I would much sooner see some central financial support for a few integral to the future as opposed to the central support for over the hill antipodeans that we have now via Sky SL funding.

Union have a long and proud history of taking the wrong players from RL and then playing them in the wrong positions... seems they can only get the wingers right

There are a few SL players that (if played in the right position) would be sensational in league... well, as sensational as the rules of that sport allow you to be. Luckily, the Union authorities don’t seem to be able to see this

the question is, would Union be after this player if his surname wasnt Tomkins?

good player - no doubt about that - but cant see the value for a Union club in paying a fee + big wages for him, unless they are after Sam too.

What did happen?
He was injured early on but once in the team he was very highly regarded and rewarded.....even as a spent force in RL. I'm sure Joel would be good in RU.....I just hope he realises it is an early retirement and he will hardly see the ball again.

I get the feeling that Joel is going as a precursor to Sam being tempted. He's clearly the one they are after. Getting them both just helps him be happier I'd reckon.

Wigan fans are now saying that if Joel goes, then Wigan should be able to offer Sam a contract outside of the cap to keep him. Why? They could just give him Joel's wages as well instead of replacing him with a player from the NRL.

So England fans. Get booing Sam in the internationals and we can get rid of him too.

Pathetic attitude.

No Joel in the England squad news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 240356.stm

No Joel in the England squad news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 240356.stm

Putting club bias aside, this is seriously worrying.

We will get a transfer fee as he's contracted, but it'll be scant reward for the effort we put into raising him.

God I hate the RFU.

Surely what ever Wigan offered outside of the cap would be usurped by the earning potential that Union offers. The endorsements that national fame would bring , something RL doesn't, would exceed anything our sport could afford to pay him.

We have no moral high ground here. If Joel Tomkins is offered more money to play Rugby Union then it is his prerogative to go and play that sport

The last century saw Rugby Union owning the ‘grassroots’ across the country and a high profile international sport to draw media attention while RL has been vibrant in the North with professional clubs able to attract the best (mostly Welsh) talent to our sport. Whether they like it now or not, none of them came for the love of the sport or the ‘challenge’, they came for the money

For every Joel Tomkins and Kyle Eastmond going to pro Union, there will be hundreds of kids and amateur players being introduced to our sport – the growth at the grass roots has been superb over the last 15 – 20 years and is set to continue

If, as we all believe, Rugby League is the greatest sport of all, then let’s showcase that sport across the country and let people choose for themselves. The open drawbridge between the two sports is the best thing ever to Rugby League in this country whether Joel Tomkins stays or goes