Take a bow.



Outstanding yesterday, world class. Surely got to be a cert for the England match against France and a strong contender for the England team in the four nations at the end of the year.

It has been so pleasing to see this guy develop. Year on year he has improved and he is now one of the best forwards around and still getting better and better.

Of course


The best second rower in the comp at the moment IMO. 8 tries in super league already, i think thats the second top for forwards, behind Roby with 9.
He's been awesome this season.

rate joel higher than i rate sam quality player.can't see him playing in cherry and white to long nrl clubs should be sniffing around

I can honestly see him staying at Wigan throughout his career, he's so passionate about Wigan, so i can't see him leaving any time soon, definatly not for another super league club, i wouldn't blame him for going to NRL, it would be great for him like.

send him to the crusaders on loan please

Outstanding ...maybe. World class... on yer bike fella!!!!

Who would you rate as World class then? (second rowers) (not having a go, generally interested just to see who people think is world class)

Thaiday, Mannering, Pritchard, Creagh, Watmough, Myles, Mason..etc and Ellis & Burgess.

I rate Joel Tomkins as a player & agree he is one of the best second rowers in our comp. I hope he goes on to become world class, however at this moment in time I wouldnt put him in that bracket with the above players.

yeah i'd agree with most of players you've put, thoough i don't think Joel is far behind at all. People just seem to think if you don't play in the NRL you arn't world class, carrying on the way he is, he'll be just as good as burgess soon.

I was amused that Leeds were bleating on about the loss of Burrow and Webb, as it turned out the loss of Mossop or Hansen to back up Joel was perhaps the match turner.

Said it last season Joel is a unsung hero in the Wigan team this year he has really stood up and been counted, if this is the taste of things to come long may he wear the cherry and white.

Really hope so that would be good for England!!!

It would be awesome, we've got second rowers to spare really haha, well definatly will have in a few years.

Yeah, the England team in a few years could have 3 Tomkins brothers & 4 Burgess brothers. Bizarre!!

I would not swap Tomkins for Mannering........Simon Mannering has never seen World class, he is the kiwi version of Phil Bailey.

Tomkins may not be world class at the moment but he is going the right way about getting there.

Totally agree! Fair way to go but is heading in right direction.

I thought it was a world class performance at the highest level of rugby this league has to offer. He really put himself about in attack and defence. It was not the prettiest of games but the intensity was top notch.

Agreed he has a bit to do to be up there with the likes of Ellis and Thaiday etc but he is on the right track.

"World Class". Two words bandied about in this country far too often.

The blame can be pinned to Mssrs. Hemmings & Stephenson, used far too often over this past decade regarding various British players (and plainly wrong).

After thinking about it for the last 10 minutes or so I have come to this conclusion, basically the only thing that means we cannot call him world class is because he has not been tested at that level, but must surely be in contention to come the end of the year.

What more can you ask from a secondrow, he makes yards and breaks, scores tries, has a good off load and always gets on the front foot in defence which is quickly becoming consistently the most hurtful in SL.

While i agree world class is a phrase banded about too much Tomkins in my opinion has the game to get there all he needs now is the chance to prove it.

Were Ellis and Burgess "world class" before they played on Oz?

I hate it when people on here just assume an English player isnt "World Class" because he isnt playing in NRL or isnt an Australian, why cant players like Joel Tomkins and Sean O'Loughlin be world class? If Joel played for Melbourne exactly the same way he is playing for us everybody would be saying he is world class but just because he is over here people just assume there is better in Australia, rubbish. JT or SO'L are fighting it our for MOS this year IMO & i wouldnt swap them for any other Loose or SR in the world.

Because nine times out of ten over the last decade when the Aussies arrived at the end of the season to play in Tri Nations or World Cups, the touted "World Class" players such as Wellens, Cunningham, Long, Maguire and Sinfield have had their ar$es handed to them on many occasions.

I'm all up for Lockers & JT doing a Burgess and Ellis and going over to NRL if they wished - they would get my blessing (although not yet for the good of our team), I think they would rock. Would be interesting to see how well they fared. I remember taking an interest in the NRL when Andy Greg, Hanley and Edwards spent our off season playing in Aus. They were treated like Gods, in fact Hanley IIRC it was that spell which earned Hanley the nickname "The Black Pearl".

Good times.

Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat for me.