Exiles tommy off injured

[BriH]

It would have to be Tommy wouldn't it?
Hope it's not as bad as first impressions indicate. Tommy looked really pi...d off as if he knew what had happened and feared the worst.
Only the scans will tell. Fingers etc. crossed.

[Kittwazzer]

It would have to be Tommy wouldn't it?
Hope it's not as bad as first impressions indicate. Tommy looked really pi...d off as if he knew what had happened and feared the worst.
Only the scans will tell. Fingers etc. crossed.

Thank God we pulled Finchy and George out. Bet Wire feel the same about Hodgson!

[OJ]

Anderson is supposed to have said it is probably a syndesmosis injury and opinions seem to differ on how long the recovery period for that is but doesn't sound like there is any quick fix although I suppose we should just wait and see what the scan reveals tomorrow.
On the Leeds board they are banging on about the rugby gods and so we need to turn this huge negative into a positive somehow. Fortunately games up until the CC semi aren't likely to be as intense as recent ones so it is an opportunity for someone else to put their best foot forward get some good game time in and show us and everyone else that we don't need to go buying players elsewhere - we make our own in Wigan!

[OJ]

Seems Andy Wilson thinks much the same as a lot of us do about the game last night:
England gained revenge for the last-gasp defeat they had suffered in the first of these matches against the cream of Super League's overseas imports with a worthy and workmanlike performance, but this was a night that offered more questions than answers, particularly about the future of the Exiles concept.

The atmosphere was flat, even though the attendance scraped into five figures, and a storm of near Ukrainian intensity shortly after kick-off led to a rash of understandable handling errors that prevented the game from developing any real momentum. Perhaps most significantly, the second half was marred by a serious ankle ligament injury to Thomas Leuluai, the Wigan scrum-half who was captaining the Exiles – leaving the current Super League leaders likely to lose an expensive import for two months that include the Challenge Cup semi-final, as the result of releasing him for a game designed primarily to benefit England.

It will be interesting to see how Wigan and the other clubs regard the second International Origin match that has been arranged this year, for a midweek date in Huddersfield next month, after such an emphatic demonstration of the potential risk.

There is no doubt that the exercise is a major boon to the England coach, Steve McNamara, before next year's World Cup, especially with the refusal of Australia and New Zealand to play international rugby this year meaning the end-of-season opposition will come from France and Wales. The Exiles provided far higher-calibre resistance, even if they lacked any visible desperation.

England played the slippery conditions sensibly, with the Leeds captain Kevin Sinfield kicking especially well, and grafted to a 12-0 lead in the first half-hour through well-taken tries from the second rows Gareth Hock and Danny Tickle.

The Exiles offered a reminder of their threat with a slick combination which ended with Francis Meli getting on the outside of England's debutant wing Josh Charnley for a try that cut the deficit to 12-4. But England stretched away again six minutes into the second half through a sharp finish from Sam Tomkins, the Wigan full-back who exerted a growing influence on the match.

He then almost set up a try for Ryan Hall, with whom he had combined so well in last year's Four Nations, only for the powerful Leeds wing to fumble in the incident that led to Leuluai's injury. Instead the Exiles subjected England to a fresh bout of pressure, and although both Tomkins and Hall denied them with quality defence, Daryl Millard eventually claimed their second try from a delicate kick by his Catalans team-mate Scott Dureau.

However, England saw out the rest of the game with reasonable comfort, allowing McNamara to claim a tangible improvement over the last 12 months, and the crowd produced its biggest cheer of the night – which was not saying much – when the St Helens hooker, James Roby, was named man of the match for a typically industrious effort which included 55 tackles. But it would take a brave man to guarantee the fixture's long-term future after this.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/ju ... sfeed=true

[exile in Tiger country]

Ridiculous game, I know I am not an expert, however I think we may have seen Tommy's last appearance in a Wigan shirt. I desperately hope I am wrong.


I really feel it's time that Wigan tell Wigan player's, you play for this club, We pay your wages, you cannot play for any other team during the Superleague season.

[platt-warrior]

I feel it's time that Wigan tell Wigan player's, you play for this club, We pay your wages, you cannot play for any other team during the Superleague season.

I disagree,you cannot take that option away from any sportsman ie the honour of representing your country.
Didnt Sam say country first,club second.

[exile in Tiger country]

I feel it's time that Wigan tell Wigan player's, you play for this club, We pay your wages, you cannot play for any other team during the Superleague season.

I disagree,you cannot take that option away from any sportsman ie the honour of representing your country.
Didnt Sam say country first,club second.

He did, but consider this. What if the honour of representing England last night had resulted in Lockers, Mossop, Sam, or Hock getting a season ending injury?
Would the club be given any compensation, or even a chance to remove those players from the salary cap to try to get a replacement? Would they hell. A player's first loyalty should be to the club that coaches, fixes and pays them. Wigan are left without Tommy now for no one knows how long, and as well as finding a replacement, have to continue to pay his wages and all his medical and rehab costs. All international training and games should be after the season ends. If that means we cut down the number of games in a season, so be it. Lose the "magic" weekend, and the play offs. Failing that scrap over a century of tradition and get rid of the Challenge cup.
The Aussies play far fewer games than we do, and that, added to the increased intensity of the NRL is a major reason we are so far behind them. England players are knackered when it comes to international fixtures.

[highland convert]

England scraped through in a match that lacked any sort of oomph. Wigan as a team would have put forty past that lot. Their only players showing up were tommy and Lima. Set an England a against an England b and then you have players playing for places. That lot last night knew they would be ousted by the nrl English player. Why try too hard. Now who plays tommys wages until repaired, Wigan or rfl? Not fair if we have to, is it?

[Kittwazzer]

I feel it's time that Wigan tell Wigan player's, you play for this club, We pay your wages, you cannot play for any other team during the Superleague season.

I disagree,you cannot take that option away from any sportsman ie the honour of representing your country.
Didnt Sam say country first,club second.

He did, but consider this. What if the honour of representing England last night had resulted in Lockers, Mossop, Sam, or Hock getting a season ending injury?

Season ending? Sam was lucky to avoid a career ending injury from that tackle by Meli! And Tommy's brother has tweeted that his season is over!

[DaveO]

I feel it's time that Wigan tell Wigan player's, you play for this club, We pay your wages, you cannot play for any other team during the Superleague season.

I disagree,you cannot take that option away from any sportsman ie the honour of representing your country.
Didnt Sam say country first,club second.

Country yes, meaningless made up team no.