101 replies to this topic

[keighley]

Rubbish. You're not talking about a run of the mill player here, he's a once in a generation star. Irreplaceable.

Nobody is irreplaceable. He could completely wreck his knee and have to retire in his next match and then he would have to be replaced and would be soon history. That is not to say however that he isn't an immense star at this time.

[chuffer]

There'll always be some "next big thing" just round the corner.....

[foozler]

Can't see him going anywhere else to be honest, I think the lure of the international scene i.e 6 nations, lions tour and of course the world cup will prove too much unfortunately.

Chuck in the possibility of going to the Olympics in 2016, part of me thinks it is already a done deal for him to switch this year after the World Cup. I don't think Wane would be talking about him moving on at this point were he going to still be around for the 2014 season.

That all said, £300k pa is apparently £50k more than Ashton is on at Saracens which would suggest that any switch is going to be co-funded by the RFU. I suspect with Lancaster and Farrell on the England coaching set up they will have already said they want him and would fast track him in.

[southstand loiner]

Rubbish. You're not talking about a run of the mill player here, he's a once in a generation star. Irreplaceable.

thats what they said about jason robinson and iestyn harris but both were replaced without to much fuss .
theres no doubt the guy is class but theres always someone else ready to step up
. there seems to be an able replacement for the fullback spot for england waiting his chance

[old papa]

thats what they said about jason robinson and iestyn harris but both were replaced without to much fuss .
theres no doubt the guy is class but theres always someone else ready to step up
. there seems to be an able replacement for the fullback spot for england waiting his chance

Add Eastmond to that list they said he could not be replaced. and yet nobody on there has even thought of him.

[my missus]

i for one will be gutted to see tomkins lost to "us" i don't go with this "someone else will take over" he has only played 3 seasons no legacy there then, to make his mark in"our" history he would need to play at least 10 years.
and much as i hate to say it if he goes next year i will forever remember him as a money chaser.

[Gav Wilson]

If he wins England the World Cup, he could sleep with my sister and I would still shake his hand, let alone go to Union.

Zak Hardaker is a decent replacement anyhow. Its all good.

[Finn]

thats what they said about jason robinson and iestyn harris but both were replaced without to much fuss .
theres no doubt the guy is class but theres always someone else ready to step up
. there seems to be an able replacement for the fullback spot for england waiting his chance

Who replaces Robinson "without much fuss"? I seem to remember the England wingers immediately after he left being Pryce and Walker, no step down in class there.

[frank]

If Tompkins is a bit dodgy at fullback or whereever I think he would take the easier option and go to Union.Anyone with weaknesses wouldn't last five minutes in the NRL.

[Gav Wilson]

If Tompkins is a bit dodgy at fullback or whereever I think he would take the easier option and go to Union.Anyone with weaknesses wouldn't last five minutes in the NRL.

What a load of tosh. Tomkins would be quality in the NRL. Its not a league of super-humans you know.

[foozler]

What a load of tosh. Tomkins would be quality in the NRL. Its not a league of super-humans you know.

What a load of tosh. Tomkins would be quality in the NRL. Its not a league of super-humans you know.

Question is though who would he play for?

There has been much chatter about him following Madge to Souths, but would Sam really push Inglis out of the starting FB berth? Can't see it myself. Melbourne and the Bulldogs seem to be reasonably well covered at full back, the Knights seem to be in financial meltdown and can't see him moving to NZ. Any ideas which of the other clubs might be in need of a full back for 2014 and have sufficient space on the cap?

I do however think that is wishful thinking. I think there can be no doubt he is leaving SL at the end of this season and were he really moving to the NRL, I would expect for there to have been firmer conjecture about likely destination. I think the whole 'mystery and quiet' surrounding him suggests he is off to RU. I sincerely hope I am proved wrong.

[foozler]

thats what they said about jason robinson and iestyn harris but both were replaced without to much fuss .
theres no doubt the guy is class but theres always someone else ready to step up
. there seems to be an able replacement for the fullback spot for england waiting his chance

I think Hardaker is a more than adequate replacement at full back, and there are a few others knocking around who could do the job as well (Ratchford is one, Lomax another albeit Saints need to bite the bullet and retire Wellens).

[Exiled Wiganer]

Farrell is scum for trying to lure him over. Wigan have made it far too easy for players to join the Vichies, and then pop back whenever they feel like it. No other club has behaved like this. If you were at Saints and tempted, then the way they made life difficult for Eastmond might at least give you pause for thought. If we had him signed up to stay put for 3 years, we must enforce that contract, otherwise no one will give a second's thought to walking away from the club. We have already "waived" options for overseas players looking to go home.
If he goes, he'll join the list of money grabbing traitors to our game. Of course the club will endure - we have won scores of trophies without him - but we'd better start making plans for life after Charnley and pretty much any other talented back.
Leeds never seem to have these problems - whatever they're doing we should be doing.
Finally, we need him for the World Cup. When Robinson left for the Dark Side, he could have stayed a month longer and played in a World Cup, but instead stood on the wing watching scrums collapse. And gets welcomed back whenever he feels like it...

[walter sobchak]

I think Hardaker is a more than adequate replacement at full back, and there are a few others knocking around who could do the job as well (Ratchford is one, Lomax another albeit Saints need to bite the bullet and retire Wellens).

Johny lomax's best position is either fullback or stand off but that all depends on when Paul Wellens retires or what happens with lee Gaskell(contract) and Gary wheeler(injuries) in the future.

[EastLondonMike]

Doesnt Sams current contract stop him from talking to the NRL or RU for another 2 years?

[foozler]

Doesnt Sams current contract stop him from talking to the NRL or RU for another 2 years?

Since when has that ever stopped anyone? Anyhow, surely it would be his agent doing the talking to interested parties, not Sam himself? :-)

[foozler]

Johny lomax's best position is either fullback or stand off but that all depends on when Paul Wellens retires or what happens with lee Gaskell(contract) and Gary wheeler(injuries) in the future.

Indeed.

Reading between the lines, Brown seems to be indicating that he rates Lee (and rightly so) and so he will get plenty more game time this season (and rightly so!) Lomax should be at full back but Wellens (much as he is a Saints legend) is bed blocking and I can see Hohaia being the preferred alternative.

Surely at some point Saints have to consider pulling the plug on Wheeler, who is either injured or overweight. Mind you though, you do have to question the know how of the Saints medical set up. Eastmond was plagued by injury before he left Saints, and I know that Bath were highly critical of the medical care/ treatment he was given at Saints and it appears one benefit of moving to that club is that they have sorted him out and he seems to be getting a good run of game time. Maybe Wheeler needs to go out on loan to the West Country medical staff for six months?

[EastLondonMike]

Agreed, but then that opens up the breach of contract legal aspect..

Has anything else been said?.. about Tomkins, aside from Shaun Wane's comments..? or is everything just assumption based on what he's said?

Hope he does go to the NRL, would be a sad day to see him wasted playing union.

[foozler]

Farrell is scum for trying to lure him over. Wigan have made it far too easy for players to join the Vichies, and then pop back whenever they feel like it. No other club has behaved like this. If you were at Saints and tempted, then the way they made life difficult for Eastmond might at least give you pause for thought. If we had him signed up to stay put for 3 years, we must enforce that contract, otherwise no one will give a second's thought to walking away from the club. We have already "waived" options for overseas players looking to go home.
If he goes, he'll join the list of money grabbing traitors to our game. Of course the club will endure - we have won scores of trophies without him - but we'd better start making plans for life after Charnley and pretty much any other talented back.
Leeds never seem to have these problems - whatever they're doing we should be doing.
Finally, we need him for the World Cup. When Robinson left for the Dark Side, he could have stayed a month longer and played in a World Cup, but instead stood on the wing watching scrums collapse. And gets welcomed back whenever he feels like it...

I've mentioned previously on here that Charnley is signed up to the same agent as the Tomkins Bros and Ashton. If Sam goes to RU, then it would look fairly certain that Charnley would be off as well. It does seem to be a Wigan club 'issue' rather than a wider RL issue at the moment. I recall there was some issue with Jones Bishop and Hall attracting RU attention a while back but the Leeds club were quick to put an end to that.

My understanding is that Farrell Snr was never really that keen on leaving for RU and it was the club that pushed him out the door. If this is correct maybe he is just exacting some revenge on the club?

[walter sobchak]

Indeed.

Reading between the lines, Brown seems to be indicating that he rates Lee (and rightly so) and so he will get plenty more game time this season (and rightly so!) Lomax should be at full back but Wellens (much as he is a Saints legend) is bed blocking and I can see Hohaia being the preferred alternative.

Surely at some point Saints have to consider pulling the plug on Wheeler, who is either injured or overweight. Mind you though, you do have to question the know how of the Saints medical set up. Eastmond was plagued by injury before he left Saints, and I know that Bath were highly critical of the medical care/ treatment he was given at Saints and it appears one benefit of moving to that club is that they have sorted him out and he seems to be getting a good run of game time. Maybe Wheeler needs to go out on loan to the West Country medical staff for six months?

I'm also a huge fan of lee gaskell's(and saints) and can't believe he was frozen out of the team for the 2012 season. In my opinion lance Hohaia was a nothing signing, although he won the world cup with NZ he doesn't strike me as a standout fullback, centre, halfback or hooker where he's played in the past for NZ and the warriors, he's just holding players back to justify st. Helen's signing him(not his fault by the way). As for wheeler he's definitely an enigma, of what little we've seen of him he's got something special but of course injuries and like you say his weight are an issue and how long do you persist?