Im all for playing the game hard and believe me i do play it hard myself but the is no place in our game for cheating sly tactics that tomkins is using.

So what about the cheating sly tactic of trying to dislodge/interfere with the ball that's the reason the players arm is in there in the first place a lot of the time. How come it doesn't happen all the time to lots of players?

Can you tell me why a player would have their arm in there to start with? I will tell you why, its so they can try and loosen the ball and when it pops out it then looks like the player carrying the ball has dropped it. You dont tackle the ball, you tackle the player end of.

Remove them cherry n white glasses, Tomkins has been doing it all season.

Loved it when he celebrated like a dick & throwing the ball into the Leeds fans.

Utter rubbish, you take man and ball to stop an offload

Christ! chill out!

IMO he holds the player down with the non ball carrying arm in order to win a pen for holding down, IMO that is cheating.

For me he can keep doing it as sooner or later refs will come down on him like a ton of bricks, until then good on him if he keeps getting away with it.

Right, and what's the problem? It's up to the tackler to get his arm out.

These tactics have always gone on. Tomkins is just smart enough to use them effectively.

Is it actually illegal to clamp a tackler's arm or are you just all whining like bitches because he wins penalties for Wigan?

Funnily enough though, it only happens when Sam Tomkins has been tackled.

Yes, yes it is illegal.

He used his ball carrying arm to clamp the other player - a SL ref has already stated it's the defenders responsibility.

Wrong, you dont have to lay a finger on the ball when tackling them to stop an offload do you? Most players who can tackle properly clamp the players arms so they cant move them.


HTH.

You make it out like Sam is the first and only player to ever do it!

But is it though? What is the ruling?

Because he did it against Leeds, I thought it was hilarious. Obviously I would be all indignant if he had done it to us, which he probably did but I can't remember. Either way, he's a crafty sod. Good player, too. But his brother is a liability to Wigan and Maguire should drop him for the next match if he hasn't gotten himself a ban for kicking.

I for one have never seen a player use this tactic so frequently and get away with it, he's been doing it ALL season. It's very un-sportsman like and just as much cheating as what Danny McGuire did with 5 seconds left. My anger probably isn't to do with him doing it, it's that the referee's are not pulling him up about it.

I agree mate, spot on.

If every player used this tactic we would have a very boring sport.

Is it? I've just had a look at the Laws and there's nothing that says the tackled player can't trap the tackler and not release him.

I'll say again. It's up to the tackler to get away. If he's stuck his arm in where it doesn't belong the man in possession doesn't have to do anything to release it.

Clever tactics, nothing more.

Okay, so you're saying that when a player tackles Sam Tomkins, he isn't allowed to tackle him around the torso for fear of having his arm trapped by the little git? He also can't tackle him around the head, because he'll give a penalty away, he must tackle him around the legs as this is the only place left to get the job done, oh but wait! Tomkins has offloaded.

No, you're making up a lot of stuff there, I've said nothing of the sort.

I'll make my actual point again. It's up to the tackler to get away. Have you ever wondered why, when it's blatantly obvious the tackler's arm is clamped, the referee never awards a penalty to the trapped tackler? Perhaps because it's not actually illegal?

Ganson had it stop on. Don't want to get clamped? Don't stick your arm in. And if it's in, pull it out.

It's been going on since RL began. I've done it as an amateur player. It's a simple tactic, but VERY annoying to the opposition, which might explain all these sour grapes.

You have watched every Wigan game this season then have you?

Buts it's not always clamping the arm, he uses his aem to prevent the defender getting off him.

In that case it's up to Carmont to run faster, then he wouldn't have got pulled back by Mcguire. This is the principle you're stating. If you want to tackle someone you suffer the consequences of having your arm trapped, if you don't want to be pulled back off the ball, run quicker.

And? Doesn't make a difference.

For the fourth time: It's up the the tackler to get away. The man in possession has no duty to stay out of the tackler's way or assist him in untangling himself. We all know players look to slow the tackle and push the amount of time they're on top. If Sam slows them further and wins a penalty, he's using their tactics to his own advantage.

No, because pulling back Carmont off the ball is illegal and an offence.

Not releasing a tackler isn't.

It's clever play. Sinfield was obviously aware of the threat so why did he put himself and his hand/arm in a position where Tomkins could get one over on him too.

And what if the defender can't get off clampit because he's been held down ?