Wigan coach Shaun Wane has insisted the Warriors have handled the situation concerning the off-field antics of the Tomkins brothers ‘perfectly’ – before stressing the club will do all they can to support Joel during his period of suspension.
Joel has been stood down for four weeks after ugly footage of him abusing staff in a Wigan bar emerged last weekend – with brother Sam fined £5,000 for his part in the incident. Sam, however, will play at Wakefield on Thursday.
But Wane has attempted to draw a line under the saga by saying Wigan’s handling of the situation has been impressive.
“The club has made a statement, Joel has made I don’t know how many statements – I don’t want to keep going on about it,” he said.
“All I’ll say is that they’ve made a massive error but I’ve known Joel and Sam for 15 years now. They are very good people, well-mannered and they’ve made a huge error which they’re paying the price for.
“They’ve made a mistake on one night but I’ve had a fantastic relationship with them. I’ve nothing to add to what the club or Joel have said. The only thing I’m obsessed with now is trying to get a win on Thursday. Everything they (the club) want to say is in the statement and I agree with everything. I think they’ve handled it perfectly.”
Wane also said the club’s support staff – such as player welfare officer Steve McCormack – will be a primary point of contact for Joel throughout his suspension.
“I’ve become close to him and Sam and I’ve never had a problem with them – it’s just one night,” he said of the incident.
“It’s unfortunate but he’s a credit to this club and a credit to his family. Sam is fine; he’s mentally tough and Joel was the one we needed to make sure everything was good with. Steve Mac is doing a great job with him and we need to ensure he’s good.
“We’ve had some tough ones to deal with here and it’s par for the course; you have to be honest and straight and remember the standards we have at this club. I think we’ve done that. We’ve had some tough times here but we need to make sure we prepare to win games.”
