Sam Tomkins

[Anonymous person]

24 games:

13 tries.
12 try assists.
14 line breaks.
18 line break assists.
97 tackle breaks.

IMO that's a fantastic debut season in the NRL. He played as another playmaker, chiming in when he wanted, and was just as elusive and dangerous with the ball in hand as he was in the ESL.

He was 100% without doubt proven his doubters who said he wasn't good enough for the NRL wrong.

 

[Ari Gold]

As a kick returner he was dreadful. As a runner, he was good but not excellent. As a defensive fullback he was slightly below average and as a playmaker he was absolutely superb. Don't know the stats on how many Warriors tries were scored on the right edge but Tomkins would have been involved in 80% of them I'd say. His bat on's and decisions in terms of who to pass it to etc. were second only to Hayne as far as fullbacks go.

Did he play to his price tag? No, maybe to about 75% of it. But I still don't think the Warriors could have bought anyone for his actual salary that would have benefit them as much.

He might go better in the defensive aspects next year, but I still think he's best off being developed as a five-eight. Would involve some bulking up and tackling practice but for mine his speed is over-rated and not really all that big a weapon, especially compared to his playmaking. He makes better decisions as a ball playing than any Warrior, including SJ.

 

[Big Pete]

Tomkins still has a lot to learn but has plenty more to offer.

Agree with Foordy's rankings although I reckon Tedesco is being overrated.

Sure, if he played the entire season chances are he'd belong right up there but he only played 8 games all up and a lot of those games were incomplete. Tomkins basically wins by default.

 

[Porthoz]

As a kick returner he was dreadful. As a runner, he was good but not excellent. As a defensive fullback he was slightly below average and as a playmaker he was absolutely superb. Don't know the stats on how many Warriors tries were scored on the right edge but Tomkins would have been involved in 80% of them I'd say. His bat on's and decisions in terms of who to pass it to etc. were second only to Hayne as far as fullbacks go.

Did he play to his price tag? No, maybe to about 75% of it. But I still don't think the Warriors could have bought anyone for his actual salary that would have benefit them as much.

He might go better in the defensive aspects next year, but I still think he's best off being developed as a five-eight. Would involve some bulking up and tackling practice but for mine his speed is over-rated and not really all that big a weapon, especially compared to his playmaking. He makes better decisions as a ball playing than any Warrior, including SJ.

I agree with almost everything, except the bold part... he was cod ordinary, and I really have trouble thinking of a worse fullback in the NRL defensively.

Tomkins still has a lot to learn but has plenty more to offer.

Agree with Foordy's rankings although I reckon Tedesco is being overrated.

Sure, if he played the entire season chances are he'd belong right up there but he only played 8 games all up and a lot of those games were incomplete. Tomkins basically wins by default.

He's not exactly a youngster, so not sure what you imply by what he has to learn...?
He has played like this for years in the ESL before coming here.

AP, who said Tomkins wasn't good enough for the NRL?

 

[Ari Gold]

If defensively includes catching bombs than Barba was worse. Obviously his tackling was cod ordinary, which would be a concern if you move him to the front line. But as I said, I really think people over-rate his speed. Bulk him up, keep him away from bombs and kick returns and just let him playmake, all the while getting a fullback who is easily twice as fast.

 

[Porthoz]

If defensively includes catching bombs than Barba was worse. Obviously his tackling was cod ordinary, which would be a concern if you move him to the front line. But as I said, I really think people over-rate his speed. Bulk him up, keep him away from bombs and kick returns and just let him playmake, all the while getting a fullback who is easily twice as fast.

Not really, Tomkins dropped as many as Barba, but was much worse in all the other defensive stakes.
I actually cannot think of any worse fullback when it comes to tackling, defensive positioning, try saving and bomb catching combined, except maybe Mini and Zillman.

 

[Big Pete]

He's not exactly a youngster, so not sure what you imply by what he has to learn...?
He has played like this for years in the ESL before coming here.

AP, who said Tomkins wasn't good enough for the NRL?

ESL isn't going to teach you the demands of the NRL, reading NRL defensive patterns, dealing with the travel demands etc.

They're tough lessons to learn and there's no telling on whether he'll be able to learn them but if he does, he'll be one to watch.

 

[Ari Gold]

Trent Hodkinson is one year older than Tomkins. Talk about a bloke who I'd have called absolutely shit a couple of years ago. Look what a couple of years under a coach like Des has done for him. McFadden not at the same level but proof that it's never too late to learn.

 

[Anonymous person]

AP, who said Tomkins wasn't good enough for the NRL?

Most of BHQ. Go back and look at the threads and posts about him before round 1.

 

[Big Pete]

I don't remember 653 members weighing in on the topic, let alone stating he wasn't good enough for the NRL.

 

[Porthoz]

Most of BHQ. Go back and look at the threads and posts about him before round 1.

Nah, what most people said, was that he wasn't worth that kind of coin. Very different thing...

 

[UKBronco1989]

As a Wigan fan I always felt that Tomkins should have been used more at stand-off than at fullback, Michael Maguire only moved him to fullback initially because of injuries. However I think now that he's in the NRL his poor defensive positioning and nervousness under a high ball are being exposed. One thing that has surprised me is that, at Wigan, he was very good at returning the ball but he seems to have taken a backward step in that regard. Personally I think he will be a star in the NRL but he'd be much better off at stand-off than at fullback.