on saturday for the Barbarians against Australia. I know he's signed up for three more years but seems a strange thing to do.

He's clearly moving to Saracens when his Wigan 3 year thing is up. This just enables him to get some extra money outside of the salary cap.

It's a pretty worrying development though. If Wigan are willing to let their players play representative Union whilst under contract, it opens league up to the potential of our best players being cherry picked using games like this and meaningless international friendlies.

I just don't see how Wigan benefit from it? Like the partnership with Saracens, I can't see any real benefits for 'us' in this.

Some worrying undertones in Leneghan's press release? Wigan looking to move to Union perhaps? I just can't see how buttering up Union benefits RL. If anything it will just further expose our young players to Union, which rather bizarely seems to be Leneghan's intention.

It's bizarre frankly.

You commit to RL and then go and play a Union match.

Also, he's a prize asset - surely you wouldn't want him to risk himself in a meaningless friendly in another sport?

It reminds me a little of Renault F1 allowing Robert Kubica to go rallying in the off-season. He had an awful crash and it's not clear if he'll ever come back.

It's all about building his profile obviously to a new audience but I can't believe the way Wigan are spinning it. It just comes across as he wants to play Union and will be on his way at some point.

The only remote positive I can see is publicity for Rugby League (for the 3 years before he does head for RU).

Whereas currently most Rugby Union fans would struggle to name a single currently active Rugby League player, at least with this BaaBaa's game one of our sport's players will become known on a wider scale, and may encourage a bit of interest. Tomkins is undoubtably one of the most exciting players to watch in SL and someone who will stand out if he plays on Sunday.

It could be decent publicity for RL or then again could even more publicly show how we are struggling to keep our top players. We'll wait and see I guess - but I hope he has a good game.

I think its great for the game and it shows how far Sam has come as an ambassador for his sport. Only a few months ago he was regarded as a 'bad boy' of the game but now he has received an invitation to play for the Ba Bas, one of the most prestigious honours that a rugger player can receive.

The official club regulations of the Ba Bas state:

I think its good that the wounds of past hatred between the two codes are being healed and rugger fans can get a chance to admire the skills of someone who maybe wasn't fortunate enough to go to the right school or the right university so wouldn't otherwise have had the chance to play the game. But maybe if he has the right attitude he could one day in the future make it. Just because you live in a deprived town like Wigan doesn't mean the door is closed for success in life.

Great news for Wigan just like Thomas was going to be.

Honest

I think this opportunity respresents a way for both Wigan & Tomkins to enhance Sam's value to RU. I'm sure Wigan are somewhat resigned to losing Sam to RU at some point, whether he completes the 3 years before he can trigger talks or whatever but what they'll be looking at is the fee that they receive. If he plays well in these sort of games, he'll personally be able to negotiate better terms and i'm sure Wigan will want a kings ransom and this will strengthen their hand. It may lead to the RFU/a team in RU whatever, literally throwing an offer they can't refuse to Wigan in the next couple of years.

I see it as a win win for Wigan & Sam, not really for RL as such, though i'll watch it with interest.

I have just sent Sam a quick tweet informing him that if he trys anything fancy like running with the ball he may get subbed.

As Wigan born and bred, but now living in the Midlands,IMHO this is the most positive thing to happen in RL since the inception of SL.
I have a lot of friends in Gloucester, Worcester and Bath who for years, have given me (mainly) good humoured grief about how League is a minority sport played only by cloth capped, ferret lovers in Lancs and Yorks.
However I have noticed over the past twelve months or so that many of them are quietly aknowledging that we've got a lot of things that can improve the entertainment factor of their game. This is mainly because of the sucess few years ago of Jason Robinson, along with the resurgence of Wales (Edwards influence) as a dominant force.
Combine this with names like Owen Farrell, Chris Ashton, Kyle Eastmond, and, most recently the publicity around the Tomkins boys, they really are now begining to accept the skills in our game.
Believe me most RU fans certainly know of and admire Sam in a big way, far from taking anything away from our game this is only adding to the interest in Super League, with lots of new followers both on TV and watching live, Two good mates of mine from Walsall are now regular visitors to the DW.
I really hope Sam plays to his pottential and paves the way for more of this type of activity , which imo will surely benefit both codes (mainly ours) in the long term.

should be a good experience for him..... are the Balls "uncatchable" in rugger too.....

Rugby Union - a game of kicking
Sam tomkins, - tug at cathing (good at other things before Wigan starts crying)

gonna have to be on it to impress your future employers Sammy boy

Very true - before living down here in the Midlands for the last 2 years I didn't quite see how much RL was up against. The sad reality is most Rugby fans in this area don't even know that another code exists other than Union and couldn't begin to tell you a rule, player or even team. Whilst living here I've recognised the huge task our game faces to bring itself to the wider audience and having our stars on wider display must surely help.

Ideally he'll play well and rip the Aussies to shreds, and Yawnion fans who watch it will think 'Wow - he came from Rugby League?', and may even give it a try.

We'll see.

What is more likely to happen is that they make an immediate mega offer, making his recent contract renewal irrelevant, because Wigan (or more accurately Lenegan) will want to cash in.....Add to this, interest in Rugby League players will just increase.

Remember, when we used to sign Rugby Union players in the 70's and 80's??....Did that make us want to watch Union??......Hmmmmm, no, it just made us want to sign more of their stars....

Would be one hell of a risk from Lenegan though, and would surely face the wrath of the fans.

Interesting to see how it'll play out anyway. He could just get a two minute cameo at the end.

seems to show the lack of star attractions that rugby union possess that they need to poach the the stars of rugby league to bump the attendance up. Having seen their behaviour in NZ no wonder they need rugby league players to show them how to behave and perform.

What if he plays e?

It doesn't benefit RL, if anything it makes our sport look desperate! Awful words from Leneghan and shame on Wigan RLFC!! Sam will be in RU in three years anyway so it'll be a bit of practice for him.

He'll belnd in with 29 other blokes who play e in every game of that sport!

Yep! I'm sure RU clubs will think "right let's raid RL of all it's good players instead of having to pay a fortune for Aussies/Kiwis/French/Argy players who will already be on a fortune." Nothing but bad for RL all this!

I cant see that Sam will be overly successful in this one off game. To be a RU fullback you need a good kicking game and whilst with practice I've no doubt he'll improve that part of his game, I dont think its one of his core skills at present.

But this is a Barbarians game, and kicking is frowned upon, so a running game will suit him.

They should have asked Kyle Eastmond to play; or is he injured?

Whats the worst that could happen?Sam has nothing to lose playing this game, he will still be back at Wigan at start of the season.

he could break his leg... i would imagine that would be pretty bad if you were a wigan fan.