He won't leave whilst Madge is here but once Madge leaves for Aus don't be shocked if he talks guys like Joel and Sam into coming with him. ATEOTD he'd be stupid not to at least try it wouldn't he.

Lets face it if Wigan keep improving at our current rate under Madge he'll defo get an NRL head coaches gig. He's already shown with Finch, Lima & Hoffman that he likes to sign players he's worked with in the past and if he moves to one of the bottom basement clubs he's gonna be looking for guys he can build a team around and trust.

sorry no offence intended... I have a rampant P on my keyboard


seriously though I think Joel would go well in the NRL and is the right age... and confirmed by a recent immigrant (me!) the lifestyle over here blows the UK out of the water!!!

anybody who chooses to ignors that pull would be deluding themselves. Oh and I believe Sam Burgess was also under contract!

as i said just rumours in the area at the moment... will watch with interest!

I'm sure your experience is not unique, but don't get carried away with this as though it's the ace you lot always have up your sleeve.

I know folk who emmigrated, hated it and came back at the first opportunity.

but try and enjoy it.

Easy now, us cocerneeys aint too bad you know.

He could try all he wants, but if they're down on five year deals an NRL club would have to cough up some hefty cash for us to release either Tomkins. It's not something that concerns me in the slightest TBH.

In your opinion.

As previously mentioned, NRL clubs showing interest in Joel Tomkins is not something that concerns me in the slightest.

I appreciate that, but I just think it is a case of a good bit of PR for the game to make him out to be a good player, when in truth he is pretty average and were he from the grim old North would not warrant half the attention he seems to.

If I were Joel and I had won trophies here I would seriously think about going to the NRL so I would only worry about him going to the NRL if we had won everything in all honesty.

Cronulla is the nicest place to go but their club might not even be there this time next year, if I went to the NRL I would go to Brisbane.

My wife gave me a good one over a curry tonight. Her mate had been talking to Sam/Joel's mum and the gist was she was keen to go to Aus with the pair but her dad wasnt keen. Apparently MM was happy for them to stay at his house.

I nearly choked on my madras. Turns out they were discussing going for the 4 Nations.

You wanna be careful doing that if it's a vindaloo

Couldn't agree more. Very over rated and will get flattened at some point. In the modern game speed is not enough and at some point he will come in field and get caught.

Either that of Hull are going to put a stone plus on him. Then he might turn into something a bit better.

They aren't on five year deals however.

Joel is ooc next season and Sam two years later.

It may seem like a while off but i'm sure Madge would test his luck with at least Sam and possibly Joel when he does decide to leave.

I think your'e right, sadly.

Of all the exciting starlets in the British game at present, I reckon the two Tompkinses are the most likely to be offered contracts down under. It looks like James Graham is already going. I'd have thought Eastmond would go too, except that he seems mainly to be flirting with Union.

But as long as there are lots of people in the British game who think that a talent drain to Aus is a good thing (and there are plenty who still say this on sites like TotalRL - some of the emptier headed ones even shout that those who don't go are gutless), there is even more chance that the NRL ticket will be taken.

So both players are likely/certain to be offered long-term deals while Madge is under contract. Whose to say Madge wont stay after three years?

It wouldn't surprise me if Madge does a "Monie" and stays a 4th year ( as Monie did in 89-93).

Let's just hope and pray he achieves as much success - doing the double in every year. Know he can't do it this year - although the League Leader's Shield and winning the Grand Final would be a sort of "double"!!

Steady, next you'll be saying Bradford have lost interest in Beaver.

[urlhttp://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/192923/Steve-Menzies-to-leave-Bradford[/url

Sam's contract doesn't run out until the end of 2014.

Sploke the Feka yesterday about going to Salford. Still a perfect gent and a great bloke. Said he never wanted to leave Wigan as he loves the place, but life goes on and he's looking forward to the new challenge.

I think he will do well there and most Wigan fans will wish him well.

Has it been officially announced yet btw?

No not yet. Best of luck to Feka though, class act.

I can never understand this about the club. Things only ever seem to be announced months after everyone knows about them anyway. Everyone has known for some time that Feka is going. Indeed in recent weeks it has been openly talked about, and freely admited by him, that he is going to Salford but still no mention from the club.

What have wigan got to announce?

Feka is under contract, he will play out that that contract then play for salford.

Its Salford that have the announcement to make not wigan

They could always announce that his contract isnt being renewed and that he is leaving at the end of the season. Do you propose they dont say anything so that he cant even get a proper send off? Instead there have been reports for months that he is playing for a new contract etc when everyone, including the player, knows that he is leaving and that it is all rubbish. Also I am talking about generally. Players sign new contracts etc, which again everyone knows about, and which again is only announced months later.

Says in the MEN, we're also tracking another experienced forward from the Warriors' ranks, and could complete a double signing in the next 24 hours. Any idea who it is, was thinking it'd most likely be Phil Bailey?

Possibly, although Hull KR were also in for him last I heard.

The only other possibility would be Fielden but with all due respect to Salford I can't see him moving there.