This is rugby league...and whilst I've not seen many talents like Tomkins there's always a good way to reduce the threat of a small, fast, illusive player; smash him hard (but legal) early on a couple of times and suddenly the frequency of threat diminishes.

Trouble is actually getting those hits admittedly, but one problem at a time!

To be fair, every side that has done that, has generally been torn apart throughout the remaining 70 minutes.

When opposing teams have the ball it is crucial that their last tackle plays are spot on in order to limit the destructive nature of Tomkins' running in broken play: either utilise the high bomb or get the ball into touch.

However defending against him is something that will take some doing; maybe study how Aus defended against him in the 4N Final...? Until defensive structures improve across the whole of SL Sam Tomkins will continue to do what he does, however, I do think that defences are too cautious against the robotic Wigan attack.

We are going to get to the stage where a coach just picks out one defender and tells him to follow Tomkins around the pitch as a man-marker!

The problem is that he can beat (probably) every single player in SL 1v1. When you incorporate dummy runners and throw in a couple of his tricks/steps, most of the time he is impossible to defend against because even if he doesn't beat you himself, he'll slip a pass away and another player will beat you.

He's a real talent, and I've no doubt he'd be a star in the NRL given time. But he certainly wouldn't be facing defences that fall apart simply because he has the ball, and he would get tackled heavily far more often in the NRL if he continued to try running across the defence on every play. The interesting question is what position he'd play in the NRL - I think he'd struggle defensively at fullback TBH, and would more likely end up in the halves.

If you watch the tries scored by Wigan against Leeds its really hard to judge how good Tomkins or Wigan as a whole were - Leeds were simply awful in defence.

The simple answer is to stop standing off him for so long for fear of getting skinned and just smash him - he's demonstrated on several occasions that he doesn't like it up him and can be rattled. The difficulty of course is getting hold and keeping hold - he's very difficult to stop and never submits easily to the tackle, often either breaking free or drawing a penalty, by fair means or foul.

His real threat is in broken play - I don't think he'd get the same opportunity to do what he does in the NRL for example, given that their defensive structures are much more rigid and organised; equally, his habit of sometimes straying into housery would probably be dealt with in a similarly robust manner that James Graham's were the other week, when Nate Myles took exception to the globs of vaseline on his thighs by rubbing a big handful in his face. All that said, if he wanted to go to the NRL, I imagine most clubs would be interested and I'm sure he'd be successful.

When has he demonstrated that?

Tomkins has been absolutely smashed throughout his career yet all he does is shake it off and get back on with the game. I've yet to see him be intimidated by a big hit.

Has he? Admittedly all I see of him are the Wigan games on tv but the only big hit I can think of was the Raynor one he (rightly) got sent off for. I don't remember him receiving many big hits. Probably because his outstanding footwork means he's too difficult to put a big hit on, but still.

Wasn't he hit with a big one v Leeds couple years back?

The idea of aiming high bombs to him is a great idea, he has shown he has poor technique and timing. The problem however is getting to a reasonable position in which to put a bomb up. That pack of Wigan's is a monster in attack and defence. Making the necessary yards is very difficult and often provides the platform for Sam to work off of. The idea of kicking to wingers would like people have said limit him to the quick PTB which is probably worse than most things as a penalty would set you back another 30m.

In open play its hugely difficult to defend Sam, the amount of Wigan players that attack the line when Finch has the ball is a 5/8's dream. Its often 4-5 players running lines hard and all Finch has to do is pick one. Its difficult to pick out where the ball is going on the TV let alone on th field and this causes the defensive line to become a dog leg! Tomkins takes advantage and chimes in at exactly the right moments just like McGuire used to do at Leeds. When his talent shines though, ala Manchester Magic with the pop up and the see you later pace its impossible to stop.

I do think he will move to 5/8 though when Leuluai and possibly Finch leave and will play alongside Matty Smith. He sing a one trick pony like Danny McGuire was, he is world class and arguably one of the little world class players we have over here. Expect him to flourish at 5/8 too should he move there, thats where his team in the NRL would want him to play.

Aye. It was Carl Ablett if memory serves.

Can you give an example of a game where Tomkins has been smashed, and thus 'not liking it up him' has gone on to play badly?

I'm not suggesting that he plays badly, just that his threat can be neutralised with disciplined defence.

I thought Featherstone did a decent job of containing him for example - they got up on him quickly and closed him down and as a result, he had a pretty quiet game by his own standards. Equally, he was poor against Australia in the 4N.

Ironically, the only team in SL that could probably shut him out of a game at present is Wigan.

I can't see how anyone with a brain could say such a thing - so you know this how, exactly

And yours is going crying to the mods when you get any stick. Boo Hoo! Boo Hoo!

By watching him. Aren't you able to assess a player's capability from watching him or is it just me who is super scout?

The David Howell one the year before was even worse (Elbow to the head Off the ball/after the ref had blown for a penalty when he wouldn't have been expecting it).

There's been plenty who've tried to do it and 1 or 2 who've got there. he still comes back for more.

Any opposition fan will only see highlights of Wigan games, and the televisied whole games, so you won't have seen how all teams try to get at Sam. Sam gets plenty of hits, and dirty niggle, its just that when he reacts, anybody other than Wigan fans get all "Holier than thou". Two problems with poop house tactics

1. He is a damn sight tougher and stronger than many opposition fans give him credit for.
2. You have to catch him to clatter him.

Matt King snotted him a few times in the Cup semi-final at Widnes in 2009. Warrington got him to throw a right mard in that game by winding him up continually and he was ineffective.

I think he's a lot wiser and more immune to that sort of treatment now though.

The thing is with Tomkins is that it is much easier said than done to hit him with a big shot. He has such good balance and agility that most that try end up loking stupid and he waltzes past them. He is also a damn site stronger than you would think.

Talented kid, hopefully sees the errors of his ways and joins his boyhood club were he used to watch his hero Alfie Langer.

This 'big hit' stuff is nonsense. What would - and has in the past and will again - neutralise his effectivenss is a well-disciplined defence keeping their shape. Wigan pulled Leeds' defence apart because Leeds were completely ill-disciplined and simply not up for it (check out Wigan's first try for a classic example of soft defence).

If Tomkins were in the NRL he'd have to pick his moments a lot more carefully. Against Australia last year he had his moments, but struggled (along with the rest of the team) when Australia stepped up a gear. That's probably the only thing that would stop him being a star in the NRL from game 1 - the ability to be patient and yet alert for the rarer opportunities he'd get.

In any event he's a super talent and whether in SL or NRL, I hope he stays in RL.

Correct. Even at the low amateur level I played, I can't think of a single player ( one who stuck around for a few years I mean ) who hid away after taking a big hit. For anyone with the right attitude for Rugby, a bit hit gets you going, not the other way around. Obviously, if you're actually injured by a tackle, that's going to slow you down, but that can happen in any tackle, big or small.

I can't imagine that any player who's come through the amateur ranks ( where very dirty, much bigger and older players get up to all sorts ) and has then proved good enough to take on far superior athletes at pro level, would ever find a big hit 'intimidating' such as to make them hide away.

The way Australia stopped him was restriciting where and when he got the ball imo. They had England pinned back and he never really got many good starting points with ball in hand imo. Trouble is in SL the rest of our team build a good platform for him to perform and there isnt many if any teams at the moment who will pin us back for a large period of the game like Aus did to England.

Australia stopped Sam Tomkins? Big deal. The best team in the world should be able to stop the best players and they often do.