before everyone jumps on my back sam tomkins has played superb in nearly every game hes played in, but theres one thing what where missing and thats a good playmaker, i really think tonight that if we had a smith or a barrett we could of put a few points on saints. yeah sam has the pace the defence but as yet he doesnt have that little bit of vision to put a good line runner through a gap,

really well with how we played effort cant fault it but it was just soo close

Wow. You must be really stupid. Tomkins is already 10 times the player the Barrett was when he played for us.

Rumours went round last week that Danny Brough had been spotted at Orrell in talks with Noble. If he'd have been in the side tonight at 7 we'd have got more then 6 points imo.

I rate Brough quite highly and think he'd thrive at a bigger club.

Maybe he needs some runners, or a scrum half?

Not needed. I understand the point the OP is trying to make. Tomkins deserves all the credit he's getting at the moment but he still strikes me as an off the cuff runner who also happens to be a good kicker.

Put him alongside a orgainser and creater and we're really onto something.

You mean instances like his offload into space to put a player in for a try the other week. Or his short kicks close to the line or his link up play in a passing move?

Or does none of that count as more than just being a runner?

Your really trying to suggest Tomkins is not creative? Wow.

im stupid m8 do you realise how good barrett is

I think what he's trying to see is that he actually needs another halfback with him to share the work and all those other things, instead of sticking a world cup winning 9 at 7 and saying here go play scrumhalf, the best coach in the world Bennett saw it that way but are genius of a coach doesn't.

He's creative through his sheer presence and danger when the ball is anywhere near him but i want to see a player with abit of nous close to the opposition line alongside him.

Leuluai is a fine player but he took wrong options time and again tonight and possibly showed he's not quite there as a top class 7 when the games are at their tightest.

Brough would have pulled the strings tonight imo taking the pressure off Tomkins. He'd pin teams in their halfs with his kicking game allowing Tomkins a better field position from which to work.

I'm trying to remember how good he was when he played for us...I'm actually struggling. Tomkins is far more exciting to watch not to mention more inventive.

Iv already said about wanting Brough after his performance against Saints the other week.

He loves to talk to the team and organise and thats just what we need. Plus he has always had a great tactical kicking game, whichever club he's been at.

My only issue with Brough is though does he like being a big fish in a small pond and could he adapt to playing in the cauldron that is Wigan, plus do we want a caveman playing for us.

Wow, it only took 3 months for Tomkins to go from promosing youngster to 10 times the player who singlehandedly dragged you into a decent playoff run.

Why do wigan fans ALWAYS make such daft claims about their youngsters? Every single under 20 year old who plays a game is instantly rated a future GB legend by the wigan fans

IMO he'd thrive on it now.

He made a fist of it at Hull but was only a kid then and seems to have matured since then.

He pulls the strings from 7 in the role a proper, organising 7 but can play that bit of off the cuff rugby aswell when needed. Alot of people will always think back to Moran and what happened when we signed him but we got Moran to try and play as an organising 7 when that wasn't his game........we wouldn;t have that problem with Brough because it's his natural game.

thats what he does himself, the boy would run himself up his own , im not saying hes a bad player far from it, he just needs to use his vision more

Just like when he had 3 overlaps last week against leeds and decided to take it himself, but i guess your the kinda guy who just sees what he wants to see

I thought Sam was the player most likely to score, or set up a score, for you in the 2nd half, with one of his breaks.

A few times I thought sooner or later he will get passed that last man and it will be game over.

Half backs are either creative players or support players. By that I mean Barrett created things for players whereas I think Sam looks to follow a forward and latch on to the pass and score

You need a reality check.

How is kicking and being involved in passing moves playing for himself?



Im sorry but I think your just picking at things for the sake of being negative.

not a cat in hells chance. brough is the ultimate example of big fish, small pond. he'd be a disaster at wigan. when he was a cas he was fantastic till westerman started getting all the plaudits and he ent into his shell (sulked). and after talking to a few wakey fans last week, they agreed that as soon as drew came on he was very withdrawn. with the amount of talent coming through at wigan and the attention they get, brough imo would not perform for us.

im far from being negative i have high hopes for the lad, but he needs to use his vision more, this isnt all about sam tomkins

leuluai was clueless today never a 7 int memory of man. Don't get me wrong he can be a good player and I'd rather him be in the team than not but we lack a quality 7 who can back tomkins up and create opportunitys. Tommy can't do that

Spot on the guys a 9 and we need a 7 who can share responsibilities with Tomkins.

Thought that was what this thread was about



I think your making out he only plays for himself because in games like tonight he took that option a few times.

In the last few games he has been far more involved in setting up moves for other players than when he first entered the team

Reality check mate. Tomkins, is a fine young player, but he is not yet ready to be put in the same bracket as Trent yet alone to be classed as being X10 his better. Tomkins has all the ingredients to be a world class player he just needs the time to grow and the patience with the ball in hand to build up pressure and exploit the gaps. His all round game is not as good as Trents IMO. But he is only young.