This thread is about England RL. Sadly you and a couple of other Wigan supporters have fixated on Joel Tomkins. It would be better if you found other places to indulge your infatuation. Don't get me wrong. I appreciate the sort of crush that you are experiencing for Joel is common among teenage girls. I will bet you and all the other wigan teenage girls on here love to talk about Joel's......'metres' 'tackle count' and 'hit ups'. Hmmmm statistics. Sublimation is a wonderful thing!

This thread is England RL. You might be better off having a discusion with the school nurse on Monday. HTH

What they want Broughy as well, crikey we've already got 6 in the team and they want another Giant, WK will be sticking pins in his effigy of Banana man, why no mre piemen

Mate you the one who keeps talking about him in a context non-England. We're talking about him in relation to the England team and you keep changing that into your sexual fantasties!


Joel had an average game, did no better and no worse than most of the other forwards in the 2nd half. No-one gave them the ball to do anything with!

Thought Westwood had a good game though.

Brown was better in the first half than the second. He was not alone.

But if he had signed for you as your coach wanted you would, which is my entire point.

I rate him, don't really have an aversion to him playing for England as he's the best available option at the minute. Definately have him back at Wigan though.

So we are all agreed that Griffin, Eorl and Robbo had a great game. Brown has room to improve but he'll be featuring again.

With Morley injured I think we'll be starting with Graham and Griffin now with Eorl and Fielden spelling them.

I thought Westwood played very well too - coming on after 5 minutes and having to defend as a prop yet still had the energy to gain metres forward.

Morley, if he is out, is a loss. But a set of props like Griff, Graham, Eorl and Fielden is still formidable. People underestimate Griff and his work ethic and honesty. Honesty is a word that is almost a dis-service to a player but he does what he has to do; what he is asked to do. This is the same for Brown. He did what he was asked. Yes, he could have done better second half but he will have nerves and have to get used to playing a certain role. It's easier for Sam T. He is told to go out there and play with flair and cause problems whereas Brown is told to fill the gaps Tomkins leaves. Who has the easier job?

It's about time people started realising rugby league isn't about the number on your back or where you are on the digital display for the teamsheet pre-match but about what you have to do to make that team work. And that whilst a player can do individual things that make himself look good combined with the efforts of others if he doesn't pull his weight in the un-noticed areas he contributes to making other players and his team look bad.

We will win and lose as a team. Not Wigan, or Leeds, or whoever else in SL. As England. And we are all in it.

Danril, I said it at the time (in the thread on the VT) that Brown was positioned differently to where NB has him (He had Tomkins there [The right decision by the way for the Wigan contingency as he is quicker ). This meant he wasn't in his natural position and I think it showed.

Losing 3 big players, one being the captain early doors, is going to test any team.

Not necessarily natural though Wadski; just what he isn't used to.
At our place he plays around Brough, Bodgy, Luke, Lunt and our strength is that we have these boys who move in and out of control which makes us unpredictable.

Today we took Tomkins off. That made us much more predictable, especially considering Maccer clear has him ear marked as the talisman. That is all well and good and, probably, the wisest thing to do given the length of the series and the time the squad has to get to know each other. However, if Sam gets injured we're screwed. This explains why SMc took him off.Only problem is it showed how much we'll miss him without solving the problem and, unfortunately, it is the only ay to learn yet exposes a big weakness in the squad.

Tomkins fit or not though we have no top drawer kicking game. That is bigger than any injury we can suffer.

Joel Tomkins was still dire though.

I was also disappointed to not see O'Loughlin with his trademark shot around the chops or lead with the elbow - mind you he didn't do much either really.

I'm not going to sh*t on JT on one display; that would make me a Wigan fan with a different shirt on! JT is a good player; he gives away too many penalties but is intimidated by no man which is a great quality IMO. He gets a grip on that and keep on trying to improve rather than thinking he's as good as some Wigan fans think he is and he will possibly become a truly great player.

He should go to the NRL, as should all our best lads (backs and halves especially) and in 5 years we'll put the sh*ts up them cocky bleeders.

I've been lead to believe on this very thread that Joel Tomkins was the best 2nd row in Superleague. He can't have off games can he?

i thought j tomkins looked out of his depth at this level at the moment wasnt dire but looked off the pace, think good lad for the future but not ready yet for me.

I dont blame Brown, Lunt, Griffin and Crabtree for not being good enough. I blame that loser in charge for picking playersclearly not good enough for England.

I can tell you're familiar with handling maggots...

[uSun 6th June[/u

Bulls 6 V Giants 52
=#FF0000
Griffin, Cudjoe, Robinson on score sheet

[uFri 5th June[/u

Giants 24 V Bulls 12

=#FF0040Cudjoe, Lunt on score sheet

I think Macca must of been impressed from what he saw when we did the double over you

I personally would have gone with 4 props for this game and left out J Tomkins. The Kiwis are big and physical and Eorl would have required more men to put him down, leaving some space if he gets the offload out.

I can't quite believe that Crabtree hasn't been picked

I cant believe the slating of Joel Tomkins and Sean O'Loughlin on here

Joel Tomkins has done pretty much nothing and does not warrant his place on the bench.

O'Loughlin had a great game on the back on decent play from Robbo and Brown - was good to see one of our training field moves allowing him room to break through the NZ line.

Shame he didnt look left before passing to his right...

Asbo Joel could be replaced by any number of Super League players and no one would notice, apart from the penalty count might go down.

Stick around pal, there's more to come.

Team for PNG match:

S Tomkins (Wigan)
R Hall (Leeds)
L Cudjoe (Huddersfield)
T Clubb (Harlequins)
T Briscoe (Hull)

K Brown (Huddersfield)
L Robinson (Huddersfield)

J Graham (St Helens, capt)
J Roby (St Helens)
S Burgess (South Sydney)
G Ellis (Wests Tigers)
B Westwood (Warrington)
S O'Loughlin (Wigan)

Subs: D Griffin (Huddersfield), G Carvell (Warrington), B Harrison (Warrington), G Widdop (Melbourne).

Macca continues to show he hasnt got a clue.