Great shout for Faz at prop. He was unbelievable there towards the end of his career with us.

Sam Tomkins was a regular match winner from 2009-2013 - that's five seasons. No one else comes close to that degree of brilliance. It's amazing how people are willing to write off all he did for us after one injury hit season since returning from NZ.

I think this is another one where the system not allowing us to select players in different positions is a problem. I can't pick Sam Tomkins over Kris Radlinski at full back because Radlinski is so much safer defensively, and was still a potent attacking threat, scoring 27 tries in 2001 (the best Sam Tomkins ever managed was 28, and that was against a much lower standard of opposition IMO). However, as you say, surely he has to be in there due to the fact he was such a match winner, so I would have picked him at stand off with Barrett partnering him at SH.

I see your logic however Sam only played his breakthrough season in the halves and spent most of his time here at fullback. Barrett was a stand off not a scrum half. They should either get picked in their predominant position or not at all imo.

Sam Tomkins has to get in the side somewhere IMO. I'd have him on a par with Andy Farrell as our best player of the Superleague era.

He has time to take that outright yet as well.

Let's sort this Roberts debate out cos it's ridiculous.

In 2010, Roberts made 15 Super League appearances scoring 13 tries.

Less than half of his appearances were as a fullback (7) in which he scored just 4 tries.

The only game I can remember from then is Warrington away when he scored a brilliant try. I don't care if the other 6 appearances he had at fullback that year were the best ever seen on a Rugby field, he doesn't come close to even deserving a mention as one of our best full backs in Super League.

Completely agree. First name on the sheet for me. As good as Rads was it's stretching it a bit to say he was better than Sam. It's like comparing Roy Keane with George Best. Both great players, but only one was a regular match winner.

Strange isn't it how some seem to have forgotten how good ST was in SL. I remember being at a game with my daughter when Sam was absolutely tearing it up and saying something along the lines of remember what you are watching today, this doesn't come along very often. I can still vividly remember the tingle I used to get every time he got hold of the ball. The whole stadium seemed to tense up. As great as Rads was, I don't recall him provoking that same feeling of excitement and anticipation. Still, each to their own. We are talking about two very fine players here.

I have Sam down as number two in my list of most talented and exciting UK born players to wear a Wigan shirt in my 35 years of watching Wigan. Number one is Hanley.

He was that good. Let's hope we get to see something like his old form over the next couple of years.

He certainly is / was exciting.

I've always said that he's probably the single most talented player Wigan have ever produced, closely followed by Andy Faz.

The only worry for me with Sam is has he lost that burning pace?

It was 70% of the threat he posed, and it caught every defence out in the competition again and again.

Last season unfortunately, for the short time he was playing, it was noticeably absent. Now, that may be down to his injury rather than his age, but either way, it's loss will reduce his attacking effectiveness.

Tht said, this thread is about Sam as he was ... so, yes, he really should be in the team somewhere.

A few observations from a non Wigan fan:

Tomkins is head and shoulders above Radlinski IMO. As for Radlinski scoring his trys against better opposition, that's very debatable. The 2001 SL season had dross like Huddersfield, Wakefield, Halifax and Salford, and a pretty gash Warrington. Yes, Bradford, Saints, and Wigan were good sides, and Leeds and Hull were good on their day. You can debate the standards all you want, but the gap between the top and the bottom has reduced, and defences are more organised now.
Edwards over Lam is ridiculous based on SL form.
The Wigan version of Fielden above Craig Smith? I have no words...
Bateman? Over Hanson, or Hoffman, or a pretty union Joel Tomkins? You could also make a case for Andy Farrell to be put there to accommodate Flanders at 13.

that season we saw a fully fitty Roberts for the first time, he was never fully fit again after his injury so not ridiculous at all.

That's not a good rationale mate, if I'm reading you right you're assuming that he would've been great if he was never injured. We could use that excuse for Sam and Radlinkski and say they would've been even better if they never picked up injuries throughout their careers.

but they had plenty of time uninjured. Roberts was never given time to get back to full fitness. Watched the start of the season a few months ago and after watching it said to my father how good he was. He played most of his games on the wing but was awesome for the start of the season until his bad injury. The thread isnt about their time over their wigan career if so Craig Smith wouldnt get a look in over O Connor or even Ben Flower.

Sam Tomkins
Jason Robinson
Steve Renouf
George Carmont
Pat Richards
Trent Barrett
Adrian Lam
Terry O'Connor
Terry Newton
Craig Smith
Mick Cassidy
Andy Farrell
Sean O'Loughlin

Coach: Michael Maguire.

The only change I would make to that is Furner for Cassidy, I was buzzing when he signed and gutted when we couldn't keep him.

I'd then have a dilemma (which most won't agree with) take away the goal kicking, and I'd sway towards Burgess for Richards, that isn't to say Pat wasn't amazing for us, it's just how highly I rate Budgie.

that's close.

Take out Cassidy and put in Hoffman, now that's a team.

anyone want to pick a bench for that to make the 17

Bit surprised Brett Dallas doesn't appear to have had any votes at all. He was superb in what wasn't an easy time.

Also shows how many good wings we've had that Carney hasn't had a mention. Frustratingly restricted by injuries, but on his day was fantastic and was a regular for GB during his time with us. Think he made the World XIII with us as well. A shame he blotted his copybook in the end by pulling a Solomona.