Next joke.

In this thread? the majority are saying exactly that.

Only when read with Wigan paranoia.

Most are saying he's more of a natural full back and/or that his form is better.

Almost everyone has said that both should play for England (which the ape Wane has also said today)

Is the purple cheese from your bellend? Or did Tomkins leave it around your mouth?

Sam Tomkins is the better player
But Zak Hardaker is the better FB

Also for all his attacking ability, Tomkins hasn't really produced it now in several attempts vs the Aussies and Kiwis so far. He might've done one or two good things but he's meant to be included to be the one to terrorise them.

With Briscoe now returned from injury and playing really well then you'd really have to consider an all back 3 of Hardaker, Briscoe and Hall. I know their's some very good wingers out there and Joe Burgess being top of that list but that trio working together to help bring the ball back and start sets when your forwards can take a breather and making themselves such hardwork to stop would see me go for that.

With all things being equal who would you back? Tomkins running at Hardaker or Hardaker running at Tomkins?

As a Rhino I'm glad we've got Hardaker and genuinely wouldn't swap him for any other full back in the game.

Tomkins is a flat track bully. He was moved to fullback to give him more space. At stand off, when playing a team with a good defence his attacking threat was nullified, as it has been at full back in the NRL, as it has been when playing for England against Australia.

Putting him at 6 at international level is a huge risk. He hasn't played there for years.

He's a good player but way too much hype was attached to him by Sky's RL team.

Of course his form is better, but no one can seemingly tell the difference between playing well for the best team in Super League (Hardaker) vs not playing well for a disjointed team in a far superior competition (Tomkins).

A fairer comparison would be Tomkins in SL vs Hardaker in SL.

He hasn't no, but it's not like he's a complete unknown is it? The Aussies and kiwis no he's England's main threat and target him. Is Messi a footballer because he doesn't quite produce it for Argentina?



F*ck it, let's just play the whole Leeds team!

Yep, New Zealand Warriors paid a world record fee because of Sky's hype



And I don't know what your point is, there is less space against better teams. Brilliant stuff! And flat track bully? Ye he's never played well against Saints, Leeds, Warrington. All of his tries came against London's reserves didn't they?

The good thing is, next season we'll find out, won't we?

I'm not sure why Wigan fans are so pleased he's returning.
I give him 1/2 season before he's courting the RU press again, maybe 1.5 seasons before he's trying to get out of his contract again. He'll become a distraction for you. He thinks he's bigger than the club.

The same reason Leeds, Saints and Warrington fans got excited when he was linked with them. Sounds like wishful thinking there because you know he can make Wigan the dominant side again next season.

Hmm, "the dominant side again"? I must have missed them winning 3 back to back grand finals during Tomkins' last spell.

I'm curious to know your definition of a bully.

Have a look at Melbourne's No 1 he isn't to bad.

I think the point is that he's not been playing well for a 'disjointed team in a far superior competition' - he's been playing average at absolute best.

In his 10 games this year, he's scored no tries, only made 4 try assists and 2 line breaks. His other game averages are 70 running meters, 7 tackles and 2 missed tackles per game. Those figures are not good reading - and if you then watch the games, you can see a reluctance to take on the line and a number of anonymous performances - he's much more keen to give the ball to his wingers than return a kick himself - kick returns and taking on the line in attack were his main attributes in Superleague.

I know stats don't tell the full picture, but on 'per game' averages, Sam isn't in the top 50 players for any of the positive stats.

I love how protective the Wigan fans are getting on this. The facts don't lie, Sam Tomkins form is rubbish, and I don't see anything from watching him currently that suggests he'll massively improve back in Superleague - Wigan will be hoping the return home coincides with a return to the Tomkins of old, if it doesn't and they've got the current version, he'll be a very expensive mistake.

2015 Hardaker over 2015 Tomkins by plenty!!!

Great post

I don't think Tomkins is the same player he was when he left Wigan. I've never understood the "once in a generation" tag that seems to have been bestowed upon him since broken into Wigan's first team. The same weaknesses that have always been in his game are still there, and I'd argue some of his strengths aren't quite as strong as they once were. His kick returns are terrible for a modern full back, and his play in broken field is nowhere near as devastating as it was and he seems a yard or 2 slower than he did a couple of years ago. I appreciate there's going to be less opportunities to run in broken field in a weak NRL team but, great players look good no matter what side they're in. His defence isn't as bad as it's made out to be, and I think he's actually improved overall, but he's never going to be on Hardaker's or Wellens' level. To them, it comes naturally.
Where Tomkins excels is coming into the line, and linking the attack. There's more subtlety to his play now, he now looks more of a half back than ever.

Or Manly's. Or the Cowboys'. Or Penrith's. etc.

Trolling aside, only a fool would say that SL isn't a better place with quality players like ST in it.

Well, from 2010-2013 Wigan won 2 Grand Finals, 2 Challenge Cups and 2 League Leaders Shields. So ye I think we were pretty dominant in that period.

Do you not agree the NRL is vastly superior? How many average looking Aussies come to Super League and absolutely tear it up? Cuthbertson this year for example. Tomkins had a pretty good first year, struggled with injuries in his second, and now he's fit again can't seem to find his rhythm and is clearly low on confidence, understandable given the state of the Warriors at the moment. I have no doubt that he will return as one of Super Leagues best players next season.

Question for everyone currently swinging off Hardaker's tail. Would he do better in the NRL than Tomkins?

Have you tried stamping your feet whilst yelling the above? It might help!

The NRL is superior, vastly superior? I don't agree.

Regarding the Cuthbertson example you gave of an 'average looking Aussie' coming over here tearing it up, for every one of them, there'll be an a ex-origin and/or Kangaroo player who's come over and not stood out.

There are also plenty of average looking Aussies who come over here and still look pretty average.

Others (and I think Cuthbertson falls into this category) may be a little more suited to the style of SL.

Hardaker would IMO. He's better suited to playing FB than Samkins.