101 replies to this topic

[Tre Cool]

Tommy left for family reasons, money wasn't an issue.

Well im gonna miss watching him, really good big game player.

[EastLondonMike]

As i remember it, Robinsons last few seasons in RL weren't up to his high standards, maybe the record book ssuggest he still scored plenty of tries, but at the time it was mentioned many a time how he wasnt playing as well as he had in the past few seasons, i think some of the reasons for that were because sides had to a degree sussed him out a bit, and identified his height as a potential weakness.. another reason i think was because he had gone a bit stale at Wigan, and needed a new challenge, which he found in RU. Robinson was an awesome player and a player whose talent the Aussies respected more than others. Just a shame he never tested himself in the NRL.. though when he did leave he was still by far the best winger in GB..

I don't think anyone really knows what Sam Tomkins will end up doing when his time at Wigan is up, i think we all hope he goes down the NRL route, which i think would make him an even better player than he is currently, and potentially one of the best ever from the country. But you just dont know.. i dont really see where he'd fit in within a union backline, where his obvious talents can be used to their maximum.. would the RFU spend a shed load of cash on a player who quite possibly wouldnt be that much more effective than some of their current backs?..

[Futtocks]

If he goes, he goes. That's the way of professional sport, and Wigan will have to replace him. The important thing is that he stays in Rugby League.

Quite apart from anything else, I can't imagine his playing style meshing with the way England RU play.

[petero]

Not how I remember it. In fact he was labelled by the Aussies as the one Brit they couldn't handle.

You must have had access to different news items than I had then, as I cannot recall such as you state.
However the fact that stuff such as you refer to occurred in print, or on visual media amounts to nothing compared with what was seen actually happening and Robinson as I stated was nowhere close to being the player he was for Wigan, in an England or G/B jersey, and as stated previously, especially against S-hemi and certainly not V Australian opposition, in R/L.

I can only recall him notching one try V the Aussies and that was a walk over one at wemnbley, gifted to him by Newlove, maybe he did get another but I do not remember it.
I would not question his ability in the domestic game though. Although the fact remains that he was in a Wigan side of all stars and had at that time some of the better centres around inside of him, which did not exactly (in either case) come as any hindrance to his development and or capabilities to shine on the wing for Wigan.

Re-iterating; I am not decrying Robinsons ability as a player but I do take exception to the claims that he was so great outside of the domestic game, his try scoring record in the representative arena accurately display's that.

[RidingPie]

as I remember it Petero, Robinson was very highly regarded after WiganV Broncos match in Brisbane. In fairness he had a cracker of a game, but then the whole Wigan team did that day.

[trakl]

as I remember it Petero, Robinson was very highly regarded after WiganV Broncos match in Brisbane. In fairness he had a cracker of a game, but then the whole Wigan team did that day.

Unless I'm dreaming - and that's quite possible! - I think I remember seeing Robinson score a try of genius for GB v Australia at Elland Road... admittedly when the game had already been lost. He scored similarly against NZ - at Bolton? Huddersfield? I'd be happy to see footage of these if anyone can point me in the right direction.

Think of the great Wigan sides of the modern era and it can fairly be said that - at any one time - they were blessed with an array of authentic world class back-line talent: picking two centres from Dean Bell, Gene Miles, Gary Connolly, Kevin Iro, Tuigamala etc would be a nightmarish task!

Without the genius of Tomkins, the current Wigan back-line would be left without a single world class player and so, for England rugby league's sake, it must be hoped that he plays in the NRL and not in rugby union.

The trouble is, for all the NRL's new-found riches, doesn't their salary cap still fall short of rugby union's Premiership - which is bound to rise sooner rather than later? As for French rugby union, there are clubs that are said to have a "cap" approaching 20 million Euros...

[shrek]

This may or may not be relevent, spotted on twitter last night Dave Swanton (Sale Media Manger);

Took RL 100 years to screw the game up with players wages, RU are not even 20 years into professionalism and heading for a car crash

[Finn]

Unless I'm dreaming - and that's quite possible! - I think I remember seeing Robinson score a try of genius for GB v Australia at Elland Road... admittedly when the game had already been lost. He scored similarly against NZ - at Bolton? Huddersfield? I'd be happy to see footage of these if anyone can point me in the right direction.

2 crackers against New Zealand at Wembley 1993.

Edited by Finn, 21 January 2013 - 03:58 PM.

[trakl]

2 crackers against New Zealand at Wembley 1993.

I was there that day. I think it was his debut but, lining up directly against the chap Dave Hadfield cruelly dubbed Sean "Floppe" Hoppe, his tries were fairly straightforward kick chases weren't they? I know that he scored more brilliant individual tries than he did on that day.

Incidentally, the warm-up for the game comprised a match between the Junior Kiwis and the GB Academy - this was a game lit up by Henry Paul for the former ( I think he was soon to sign for Wakefield) and Iestyn Harris for the latter. The former, individually and as a team, shaded it and celebrated with a victory Haka to salute the crowd.

Edited by trakl, 21 January 2013 - 04:06 PM.

[foozler]

This may or may not be relevent, spotted on twitter last night Dave Swanton (Sale Media Manger);

Think what he meant was Sale are heading for a car crash as their relegation starts to look all the more certain! They must be paying Cipriani serious wedge and not getting a great deal in return and a number of their 1st team squad are coveted by Gloucester (the irony) according to Rugby Times.

[walter sobchak]

Best Jason Robinson try was the one he scored against saints at the last match at central park, he always seemed to score crackers against us.

[sweaty craiq]

Offiah was the memory provider for outstanding try's, and for the most unbelievable almost try's eg GB tour First test - if only the pitch was a foot wider...........

[trakl]

Offiah was the memory provider for outstanding try's, and for the most unbelievable almost try's eg GB tour First test - if only the pitch was a foot wider...........

1992, Sydney Football Stadium, 40000 fans and 2 electrifying early runs from Offiah thwarted at the death by Andrew "ET" Ettingshausen - and then the immortal victory in Melbourne - followed by the all-too-mortal defeat in Brisbane.

Some things I remember as if it were yesterday...

[Lounge Room Lizard]

Really?
Broncos.
Josh Hoffman the Broncos Fullback is the current Kiwi Test Fullback.
Peter Wallace and Scott Prince are both either Test or SOO players

Roosters currently have the "Count" as the Captain

If Tomkins was to go to the NRL it wont be before 2014 at the earliest. Prince is 33 next month. He will have maybe 1 max 2 years left at the Broncos. Hoffman has also played on the wing for the Broncos like last season a couple of times. The Count is 33 in May. Roosters will maybe keep him for one max 2 years. If Tomkins was available in 2014 or 2015, the Broncos and Roosters will likely be looking for somebody like Sam for FB or to play 6.

[fieldofclothofgold]

What if he goes to RU and for some reason it doesn't work out and comes back not as ood as he is now?

[kioli]

Without the genius of Tomkins, the current Wigan back-line would be left without a single world class player and so, for England rugby league's sake, it must be hoped that he plays in the NRL and not in rugby union.

The trouble is, for all the NRL's new-found riches, doesn't their salary cap still fall short of rugby union's Premiership - which is bound to rise sooner rather than later? As for French rugby union, there are clubs that are said to have a "cap" approaching 20 million Euros...

NRL is lower for 2013 ($5.8M or 3.85GBP) but by the end of the current tv deal it'll grow to be larger than all but the Top14 salary cap (rumoured to be around $7.5-8M in 2016-2017).

Not to mention that most Euro clubs couldn't spend the entire cap even if they wanted while every NRL club is basically spending their entire cap each year.

Edited by kioli, 22 January 2013 - 01:29 AM.

[walter sobchak]

NRL is lower for 2013 ($5.8M or 3.85GBP) but by the end of the current tv deal it'll grow to be larger than all but the Top14 salary cap (rumoured to be around $7.5-8M in 2016-2017).

Not to mention that most Euro clubs couldn't spend the entire cap even if they wanted while every NRL club is basically spending their entire cap each year.

Just out of interest how is the salary cap in the top14 so high, good tv deal and sponsorship or just wealthy owners of the clubs?

[kioli]

Just out of interest how is the salary cap in the top14 so high, good tv deal and sponsorship or just wealthy owners of the clubs?

From what I can tell the clubs are simply playthings for rich owners.

[Futtocks]

From what I can tell the clubs are simply playthings for rich owners.

Toulon, especially, seem to buy 'name' players like nobody-s business. I don't know how much the coach has to do with these decisions, or whether the owner's doing a low-rent Abramovich and just throwing money at anyone he likes the look of.

[dhw]

Just out of interest how is the salary cap in the top14 so high, good tv deal and sponsorship or just wealthy owners of the clubs?

A mixture of wealthy benefactors and and sponsorships streams, french clubs seem to get a lot more sponsorship revenue. There was an article put out last year highlighting that point. Think only two english clubs made it in the top 10 (Irish provinces do not publish their figures). Probably explains why catalans appear to have a different business model to English Super League clubs.