Anybody else, from a purely selfish Wigan point of view, hope Sam doesn't get picked for England ?
A good rest and a proper pre season (When was the last time he had one of those ?) and he hopefully will be back to his best next year.
Considering all the abuse he'll get if England don't win the 4 Nations (You can guarantee it'll be all his fault) I hope Wayne Bennett leaves him out.

He's had a good rest for half of this season. From a Wigan point of view is be happy for none of our players to be selected.

I'm a rugby league fan who supports Wigan, I want to see the best possible England side, IMO that includes Sam.

I would like to see him play for England purely to see if Wayne Bennett would use him differently.

I expected Sam to come into the attacking line much more frequently than what we have seen so far this season, he does seem to have lost some pace since he left for the NRL and perhaps this may have something to do with it.

I come in peace, I think one of the reasons he gets stick imo is that he didn't set aussies alight due to whatever reasons and tbf he hasn't set the world alight this year, before he went to aussie he was a shoe in and rightly so, since then imo he isn't the best fullback in super league, next year he might be but at present he isn't and rightly or wrongly people just get fed up of him being talked about all the time, this isn't a dig its just my opinion

I don't disagree, and yes, there probably are full-backs in SL looking better on current form, Shaul obviously springs to mind.

Putting yourself in Bennett's shoes, though, it would be a bold move to put an untested international rookie in at full-back, of all positions, against the big Aussie and Kiwi packs. Sam Tomkins may not set the season alight, but he has the international experience, and he has faced these guys week in, week out in the NRL.

His form was very good up until he got injured against Wakey at home in July. He spent the rest of that game hobbling round and he hasn't looked right since.

He really could do with a full of seasons rest. The same could be said of Lockers and Williams.

He doesn't look quite as fast as he was, but he might still be carrying a slight knock. He seems a better team/creative player than when he left though. Despite our attack generally being poor this season, Sam already has more assists than Shaul, despite playing a lot fewer games.

I like Shaul, he is an exciting player to watch, but to me it seems that he is very fast, got great footwork, good defense and positioning, but he isn't as creative a fullback as we would need to beat the aussies. You cant just run through the aussies using speed and agility, you need someone at the back who has the passing and kicking game of a halfback in order to create something for other players (another reason why I believed Hardaker was not the fullback England needed).

All that being said, I can never quite get into international Rugby League, I felt nothing when New Zealand scored that last minute try in the world cup; I didn't care.
I'd rather Sam didn't play and spent a good off season getting himself back to full fitness. Let Shaul play and show them what he's got, because he's had a good season.

Shauls a fine superleague player but the Aussies and Kiwis don't leave anything like the amount of space he's used to and he wouldn't trouble them in the slightest IMO. That's not to say I think Tomkins would because on current form he wouldn't but he has more to his alround game then Shaul and would utilise his teammates far better.

In truth if I was picking the side myself I'd probably go for Lomax. I think Tomkins needs a rest and Lomax seems to have come back really well from his injury. He has a good combination of a running game with a creative edge and is just about our best option on current form.

I thought Sam was better than Lomax on Friday. Lomax looked as though he was struggling a bit, particularly when he gave up on the chase after Gelling. Sam however looked a bit sharper, the chip and chase and getting back to Swift and Fleming were goo signs for me. I agree that a good rest and strong pre-season would be a BIG bonus for Wigan next year. However, knowing Sam, he'll want to play in every and any game.

I've been in the camp of thinking he'd lost a bit of pace and agility post-NRL, but I saw the first glimmers of hope on Friday that once he gets over any niggles he's carrying/gets his head around his injuries he'll be back to his best.

For me Sam looks to be avoiding contact, which isnt conducive to being a full back these days as it is about chiming into the line and releasing the outside backs (sometimes to the detriment of your own body - especially with the hits that halves take when passing the ball)

Shaul, despite his great attacking skills, isnt that good at putting people into space.

Lomax, for me, is a great full back, but is also one that would benefit from a full pre season

I agree he outplayed Lomax on Friday but overall I've been more impressed with Lomax since his return. That's not to say I think Lomax is the better player because he clearly isn't (or wasn't anyway) but if Sam isn't fully fit then he needs to rest up and the next best option (if he's fully fit) is Lomax.

We have decent options in Shaul and Hardaker but both are practically non exsistent in play making terms and I don't think we can afford that. I suppose another option may be to drop Widdop back to full back as he was very good there prior to moving in to the havles at Melbourne.

As for Sam longer term I think we'll see him back towards his best next year. I actually think he was very good this season in his first 6 or 7 games but I'm convinced he's carrying a knock picked up against Wakey. His timing looks off and his mind seems pre occupied and it's leading to errors we don't ususally see from him.

Hardaker to me is a better version of Mathers, a luxury player with good bits to his game, the bad bits can be masked playing in a top team as they were at Leeds last year. This year he had been non existent for Leeds. I wouldn't class him as a match winner for England. I don't even class him as dependable. I may get shot down, but that's my view.

Shaul is a great broken field runner and great supporting a break, defensively nothing more than average. He doesn't have the ability to act as an extra half back like many do.

That leaves Sam and Lomax, very even at the moment, all to play for if they both want to represent.

Hardaker was diabolical til his move down under. Last year, I doubt we'd have won the treble without his contribution.
Sorry to all those wanting to see Tomkins rested for an extended off season but he has, surely, to be easily the best pick at FB right now. He maybe won't find the form to trouble the aussies but at least it's there to find. I'm not sure the same can be said for Lomax at international level.

he is abysmal... and thats probably being kind.

whats happened to him?

the hunger seems to have vanished from his game.

I can't remember him taking the li me on much in attack in the Widnes half

After initial promise on his return from injury he has quickly gone down hill.

On current form the worst 1 in SL.

If he isn't fit he shouldn't be playing. Stopping and sometimes reversing away from contact is a bizarre and sad sight from such a talented player before his injury.

ive never seen a player of such talent seemingly become so bad overnight.

he is your highest payed player.... but in all honesty, the young fullback coming through the ranks HAS to be better (whoever it is)

Some massive overreactions on here hahaha. The worst 1 in SL hahahahaha give me a break.

With a full pre-season behind him and a more confidence in his knee, he'll be a different player next season

It isn't an overreaction. His form over the last 3 or 4 games has in my opinion been the worst I have seen in SL.

His injury is clearly an issue I accept that and I hope you are right in relation to an offseason helping the situation and I think you may be right, non the less that does not excuse his current performance and selection.

If he isn't recovered he should not be playing. If this is him recovered, which I don't think it is, and the money he is taking on the cap, God help us!

why is it when players have there hair dyed blonde they turn in an utterley e performance.

Didn't Leeds do it a couple of years ago (the whole team) and they were tripe?

you have some very good players, Tompkins isn't one of them, atm he is bang average and that's being kind, imo he shouldn't be anywhere near the England team, but he will be, he just passes the ball, he is not a threat with ball in hand and defensively is poor, plus hes lost his pace, sorry but hes not the player he was, maybe a good of season might see him improve but atm hes poor

No, if iirc it was pink, but yes they were shi.. , err tripe

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