Tomkins to play for Barbarians?

[DaveO]

In terms of publicity, he's known by those who are interested in league or at least keep tabs on what happens because of their job or have a broader interest in sports. I know several union fans who knew nothing of Tomkins until this week when they started asking me who he was and how he plays.

And I know plenty of people who had never heard of Mike Tindall until the scandal over the RU world cup broke. I myself can't name anyone except him and Wilkinson from the England RU team despite the fact my son plays Union. I just do no follow the game and its the same for many people. RL and RU are both minority sports and people need to stop talking of RU as if ti was premiership soccer.

[Dobby]

In terms of publicity, he's known by those who are interested in league or at least keep tabs on what happens because of their job or have a broader interest in sports. I know several union fans who knew nothing of Tomkins until this week when they started asking me who he was and how he plays.

And I know plenty of people who had never heard of Mike Tindall until the scandal over the RU world cup broke. I myself can't name anyone except him and Wilkinson from the England RU team despite the fact my son plays Union. I just do no follow the game and its the same for many people. RL and RU are both minority sports and people need to stop talking of RU as if ti was premiership soccer.

Exactly Dave. The sooner some people realise that Union isnt this huge sport the better.

[Panchitta Marra]

Its diabolical that Sam is on the wing.
The RFU can now control and keep Sam as quiet as they want because on the wing you only get the ball if players inside want to (or are allowed to) give to you.
The best player in Superleague can now be made to look very average in Rugby Union.
I see no possitive for WWRLFC or Rugby League in general out of this fiasco that the RFU can now control for any propoganda.

That takes conspiracy theories to a whole new level.

I dont trust Rugby Union with regards to anything they have to do with Rugby League.

[Dobby]

Exactly Dave. The sooner some people realise that Union isnt this huge sport the better.

It's still bigger than league.

So what? So is Football, so is Cricket, I really couldnt care less. I dont know why some people have such an inferiority complex when it comes to Union. We should be proud of our game and people shouldnt constantly pander to Union and try and compare us for the worse.

[cumbria_warrior]

That was one boring match. I struggle to watch union there is just no skill to it, good to see Sam get a try at the end though

[Kiwiseddon]

Well that was diabolical for Sam and RU. Aussie were all over the Barbarians but from a Wigan and Sam point of view what a huge let down. Sam didn't get a single good pass all game right up until the end when he scored. He looked dejected and bored.

If a team of quality Internationals can't get the ball away to Sam for a whole game then what's it gonna be like for him at club level.

I hope this makes Sam realise just how dull his RU could be.

Having said that, I jumped off the sofa when he scored. Good for him!

[BriH]

I think he will be so bored that he will never, ever want to play the RahRah game again - here's hoping.

I was absolutely right: what a load of crap.
Boring doesn't even come close.
If this doesn't put him off nowt will.
Missed him scoring though because I switched to something else!
So, he scores the only BaBa try! Good for him. Let's hope this is the end of this nonsense.

[DaveO]

Hold on. Sam played for the Barbarians and the world hasn't ended? I thought it was a certainty that if Sam played a game of rugby union it would spell disaster?

Had he been injured it would have. He didn't so we got away with it.

Whether the game was poor or not doesn't alter the fact this put him in the RU shop window.

Wigan gained nothing form this IMO. As I have said before they would have got just as much PR had he turned the offer down.

What better incentive to keep him in rugby league than to have it demonstrated first hand the total lack of basic skill that the vast majority of union players possess.

Nothing could have made him want to come home to Wigan quicker than that garbage!

It's nothing to do with the sport but the money. It makes you realise when players who do switch go on about the new challenge it is just so much PR BS. Joel switched and I am sure he didn't need this game to tell him it is a poor comparison to RL.

Trying to put forward that because this game was poor that letting him play was some kind of master-stroke is wide of the mark. If he wants to earn more money he will just have to put up with it and I am sure he knows that.

[Mike]

I do think we got some good coverage from this. All the media are mentioning after the one-sided result is that RL international and wigan player sam tomkins scored the only barabarians try. maybe a small benefit to the profile of the game, but marginal.

I do wonder why he played though. Maybe they asked him and he thought he would like to do it for a bit of an experience, asked IL who said OK because we want to do all we can to keep him happy?

[kick it int duggie again]

I will never ever have any time for a sport that spent so much time and effort trying to eradicate another sport.Some may be able to forget, not me,I can remember Louis Luyt the South African rugby supremo referring to rugby league players as "reptiles". Ask the French RL about the Nazi collaborators, The French RU.
If Sam goes I hope he enjoys his thirty pieces of silver.