He's the best fullback I've seen at Wigan in well over 60 years of watching.

Agreed. In my top three (British Wigan Players)

1. Hanley
2. Gregory
3. Tomkins

He’s so underrated it’s unbelievable.

Makes me laugh when people are putting all time dream teams together for super league and are debating Wellens/Radlinski/Webb etc. It’s Tomkins by a country mile.


The best ball runner in super league history. Electric.

Summed up nicely.

He’d underrated because he rubbed too many opposition players up the wrong way and even some of our own fans at times. He was majestic between 2009 and 2013 and I’m glad to see that whilst his style of play is totally different, he is back where he belongs as one of the leagues best players.

I’ve seen debates about who should be England’s fullback in the World Cup. Tomkins, Evalds, Ratchford, Hardaker and Connor all getting mentions. Do me a favour! He is streets ahead of those guys and his game nowadays may well suit international rugby more than it did in those years he was skinning everyone. His creative game has come on leaps and bounds.

Oh for sure, if we're going off 09-13 anyway. Although I tend to cheat and put him in at 6 to accommodate Radlinski

The more I think about it, he's the best I've seen by miles, not even close....
And I've grown up watching Mcguire and Burrow!

Gene Miles was the best centre and Offiah the best winger

The best, by far more than a country mile, was one William John Boston.

Radlinski is my favourite player of all time, i just loved watching his positioning in defence and attacking run..............

But, if i was picking a team of all the players I've seen i would probably, reluctantly, pick Tomkins before Radlinski.


For the oldies here, Peter Thompson was and is my favourite wendyball player of all time..

Mine was George Best.

He's a completely different fullback to Radlinski and Wellens.
If Amos Roberts hadn't have got injured I think we could have been discussing him in the same conversation too. Before that, the nearest we've seen to Sam was Henry Paul before he moved to 6.

Agreed. I like Radlinski there because of his defensive capabilities. Tomkins wouldn't be capable of doing what Radlinski did in the 02 Challenge Cup Final for example, and there were times when he came unstuck under the high ball. Plus it's not like Radlinski was a poor attacker either, not as devastating as Tomkins but he was the League's top try scorer in 01. Tomkins is the better player but Radlinski is the better full back IMO, hence why I pick Tomkins in the halves in these debates.

I’m 30 and he’s the best I’ve ever seen, hands down.

i remember watching his 1st game for Wigan and phoned my dad as he was on holiday
dont want to get carried away but this Sam Tomkins looks pretty special



For me he would be in the top 5, but it has to be Ellery, and dont think anyone else comes close. I've seen lots of special players since i 1st went to Central Park in 1982, both from here, Oz & NZ, but Ellery stands out head and shoulders above the rest. He did it week in week out for Wigan, GB and Balmain.

In the SL era couple of standouts for me are Scully & Faz who were fantastic RL players

1982 start for me too! How lucky as Wigan fans have we been?
We could list a top twenty, top thirty, possibly even a top forty and those players would still be absolute top class. I bet we could do thirty players without even having to think hard about it (and still miss obvious choices out).

Sod it, here goes:

Hanley
Gregory
Edwards
Gill
West
Lydon
Platt
Bell
Goodway
Kevin Iro
Kenny
Ferguson
Ella
Dowling
Betts
Clarke
Platt
Offiah
Miles
Renouf
Robinson
Henry Paul
Barrett
Radlinski
Dallas
Andy Farrell
Lockers
Sam Tomkins
Hoffman
Charnley
Liam Farrell
French
Hastings

Rattled those off without really having to think about it. I bet I've missed a few off too.

How spoiled we've been!!

Hanley is the best I've seen, he was more than a player, he was a talisman, the 1991 Wembley final is the best example of that, we were not expected to win, we had a few injury's and Hanley was one of them, before kick off saints fans singing and dancing, Ellery walks out of the tunnel runs up and down the touch line in match kit as a "fitness test", saints fans sit down, wigan fans stand up. Ellery plays we won 13-8.

Miles was special too, but like Kenny, Ella, Maninga, not here long enough

in terms of superleague, Sam was and is a special player, if you watch a player and are envious of the opposition Jamie Lyon at saints was a player that had that air of quality every time he touched the ball

I was in the Saints end that day (long story), the groans from that end when he walked out for his on-pitch fitness test was tremendous!

We must have missed the, best of Hanley when he came to Leeds, as although very good we've had beget players since......

Hanley at Leeds, whilst past his absolute peak was still a top top class player. Had he stayed with us he would have won another half a dozen major trophies at least

no Trent?, Platt was that good you named him twice

Barrett is there! Platt twice.

Just been sat on carsie and went 'Pat Richards' haha!

Botica
Panapa

Botica was so underrated, hust watched the season review of 93-94 and he was class

I've never really understood the hype around Richards.

I'd have Offiah, Robinson, Carney, Dallas all ahead of him as exciting wingers. I'd argue a prime Manfredi and Burgess are better too. Unfortunately Burgess and Manfredi, for different reasons, have never had a good level of consistency.

I think you nailed it with the word ‘exciting’ but I wouldn’t class that to mean they were better. Clearly Offiah and Robinson were better players than Pat Richards and all the others you mention were more exciting to watch but I don’t think any of them were/are better players. I’d have Dallas somewhere close to Richard’s but not Carney, Burgess or Manfredi. Maybe it’s the added impact of Richard’s goal kicking that puts him ahead for me but it’s still a part of the game and it added to him being a better player than those others mentioned. Pat Richards was just so consistently good in all areas of his game.

Wasn't Tomkins the same though? He's a player who gets you out of your seat, takes risks and is probably prone to the odd howler because of the way he played. Richards was steady, didn't make many errors and just went about his business in a professional manner. I know what you're saying but I'd prefer to watch all the other wingers at their best than Richards at his best.

Apologies for the thread drift.