[urlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/18538370[/url

Bit random, this. Seems to be saying that the refs are allowing unfair play regularly, and if teh league don't sort it, he will - er, his players that is, er, legally. I haven't noticed it myself - any more than you'd expect the playmakers of any team to be "targeted" - but if this protection can already be done legally then why aren't his players already doing it?

Maybe we can get the same dispensation for Briers or Atkins, how about asking refs to blow up if anyone gets within 2 yards of Sam ? ( assuming they can ).
Dopey thing to say by Wane. His first mistake in an impressive first season in charge.
It reflects that without Sam Wigan are not so scary and he's worried about losing him after losing Tom L at the weekend.

All top quality creative players receive treatment from the opposing team and unfortunately Tomkins is no exception.
The fact that he showboats so much will increase the desire of the opposing players.
What does he expect ?

It's an utterly bizarre statement to come out with and you have to wonder about his suitability to be a Super League coach when he's basically a thug himself.

Wigan are the most aggressive team in Super League and by far the most likely to commit serious foul play, particularly with the attacking of the standing legs they do and are coached to do.

Tomkins doesn't come in for special attention IMO, I can't think of a bad shot on him since he was KO'd by Raynor the other year. For a coach of a side containing Gareth Hock to suggest his side are being bullied is absolutely ridiculous.

A non story, & Wane has been around long enough to know that big guys will smash little guys if they can catch them. the rules of the game are the same for all players large or small gifted or not. I dont recall Rob Burrows ever moaning that the big guys hammer him if they can catch him. It is the way the game is, if you are terrorising the opposition they are going to try & tackle hard & put you of your game, If you dont want to get hurt play darts.

To be fair - I'm amazed that Sa was never called up to the disciplinary and that, I assume, is what Wane was answering a question about. It warranted "on report" if memory serves, but they decided penalty sufficient.

As Bilko states this comment from Wane mainly stems from terrible tackle by Setimata Sa on Sam in the Catalan match. It was a poor tackle that Tomkins was lucky to escape uninjured from. I think most of us would concede that the RFL have gone a little soft this year when enforcing and policing high and dangerous tackles. It's of course as always about finding that happy medium between being too strict and too lax.

I think it's a bit of a nothing story personally. But I'm pleased to read that if the RFL won't protect Sam the Wigan forwards will. Within the rules of course.

No doubt the anti-Wigan brigade will get stretch this non story into a good sized thread. I'm looking forward to reading the bile.

I seem to recall Nathan Brown making a similar statement last year. One of his players ended up getting sent off trying to play the enforcer.

He has been smashed by Ablett before and David Howell has been sent off after hitting Sam with the forearm.

Also tackles like we saw on Sam from Sa in the Catalan game happen more regularly than people think.

Wasn,t Mr Wane on wigans staff roll when Terry Newton targeted and smashed Sean Longs jaw to pieces. Perhaps Mr Wane didn,t think much about that one and turned the other cheek so to speak.
Coming from a full back position Tomkins will always be targeted like any other player in that position who is an attacking threat.

What has that got to do with this topic?

Like someone mentioned earlier though, Rob Burrow has been targeted by opposition since he first came into the first team and will continue to do so until he retires. Tomkins will face the same, its part and parcel of RL that the game changers will be targeted by the other side, they have been before Tomkins first played and they will be long after Tomkins finishes playing.

Pointless statement. I haven't seen any particulary dirty shots on Tomkins this year. I saw the Sa one, it was reckless but i think he hit the chest first. Should have been a 1 game ban for a reckless tackle though as it could have connected with his head. But thats the only one really.

Pointless statement. Have you watched all of Wigan's games this season? If not then you aren't really in a position to comment are you?

Are Wigan players as paranoid as their coach and fans?

I like that Wane has spoken out but the delivery of that comment puts him on the same level as Nathan Brown 2010.

Sam does get some bad treatment but most teams can't lay a finger on him. Most teams have come to accept that he is just the best player in super league, even in a poor game he can do something special, teams are too busy trying to defend against him to rough him up.

The Rugby Gods are waiting for the peferct moment to strike back

Sam is special and I wish he stayed with his boyhood team and I wouldn't want him damaged, however the odd biff to clip him in full flight is rugby, and avoiding biffs is why he plays the bloody game ! Asking the RL officials to protect him was daft, I bet Sam is spitting chips !

I think Mr Wane is suffering from double standards or a short memory span. Was he not on the coaching staff last year when the club endorsed the wigan players targeting the unprotected knee joint of the opposition in the held up tackle.

Yeah, Wigan set out to injure all of SL because we can't play without grub tactics...

Bitter and deluded.

Does that mean they have removed the "car crash" pictures from the training corridor at the Orrell training ground.


I also seem to remember in the late 80's Shaun Wane targeting our younger saints players in Neill Holding, Alan Hunte and Gary Connolly, the later being an up and coming rising star as a world class full back.......thats a coincidence.

You've obviously never played darts with me.

Have you seen every other SL game this season?
If not then you aren't really in a position to comment either.

You really believe Wigan set out to injure their opponents?

Yes, it was just Shaun Wane. Nobody else in Rugby League handed out big hits etc.

There's a difference between playing hard or setting out to rough a player up with sh*thouse tactics.

Wane in the interview was referring to an incident between Tomkins and Sa.

Wane says, "I don't just mean the Sa incident". So he clearly has other things on his mind. It would be interesting to see how Wane's apparent paranoia is reflected in his players. I don't get the impression he is a master psychologist like Tony Smith so it could have unintended consequences.