Re: Sam Tomkins : Fri Apr 17, 2015 11:08 am
Mugwump wrote:
To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure why they've bothered. Wigan already have plenty of scoring potential in the backs. Right now they haven't got enough slots to keep the existing bunch of players happy. Throw in the young halves coming out the academy. One way or another some good players are going to end up with their noses pushed out. Anyone getting that deja vu feeling, again?
If I were running things at Wigan I'd first be looking for two props, a back row forward and possibly a hooker. I mean, it's one thing playing tick rugby against three years long in the tooth Warrington who appear to have gone on strike in defence. It's quite another when your opponents shut down your width and you are suddenly reliant upon route one.
As usual Sky turned the orgasmatron up to eleven each time Wigan scored a try this evening. But even their full gamut of superlatives couldn't mask the fact that Warrington's defence was woefully inept in the backs. At times I was getting flashbacks to the succession of pastings we handed out to them over a decade. Quite what Warrington's outside backs were thinking each time Wigan expanded the play I've no idea. They couldn't have made it easier had they painted directions to the try line on the pitch. You can't begin to compare the intensity in both attack and defence that Warrington brought to the JJB two or three seasons ago with tonight's.
What happened to the bone-crunching defence that was until recently a regular occurrence in Wigan-Wire games? Even more bizarre was the fact that until eight minutes to go - Warrington could easily have stolen the game! Granted, they didn't deserve it. But since when did fairness have anything to do with life?
Sure, I suppose with Tomkins playing they win by twenty points instead of fourteen. But they could just as easily equal or exceed said points difference adding steel to the pack. The advantage offered by the latter being a reliable plan B should Hollywood-ball fall flat. Oh ... and the trifling positive that is a rock solid defence. Because whilst Wire were tragicomic without the ball - Wigan didn't look too bright themselves on those rare occasions when their opponents managed to string four passes together without spilling the damned thing.
If I were running things at Wigan I'd first be looking for two props, a back row forward and possibly a hooker. I mean, it's one thing playing tick rugby against three years long in the tooth Warrington who appear to have gone on strike in defence. It's quite another when your opponents shut down your width and you are suddenly reliant upon route one.
As usual Sky turned the orgasmatron up to eleven each time Wigan scored a try this evening. But even their full gamut of superlatives couldn't mask the fact that Warrington's defence was woefully inept in the backs. At times I was getting flashbacks to the succession of pastings we handed out to them over a decade. Quite what Warrington's outside backs were thinking each time Wigan expanded the play I've no idea. They couldn't have made it easier had they painted directions to the try line on the pitch. You can't begin to compare the intensity in both attack and defence that Warrington brought to the JJB two or three seasons ago with tonight's.
What happened to the bone-crunching defence that was until recently a regular occurrence in Wigan-Wire games? Even more bizarre was the fact that until eight minutes to go - Warrington could easily have stolen the game! Granted, they didn't deserve it. But since when did fairness have anything to do with life?
Sure, I suppose with Tomkins playing they win by twenty points instead of fourteen. But they could just as easily equal or exceed said points difference adding steel to the pack. The advantage offered by the latter being a reliable plan B should Hollywood-ball fall flat. Oh ... and the trifling positive that is a rock solid defence. Because whilst Wire were tragicomic without the ball - Wigan didn't look too bright themselves on those rare occasions when their opponents managed to string four passes together without spilling the damned thing.
I agree with a lot of that. Some of the Wigan tries were excellent, but Wire far from made it hard from them. The way wigan broke for the 2nd try (I think) after a loose ball from Williams went to ground, but still opened up the defence, summed this up. You can only beat what's in front of you.
Adding Tomkins to the mix makes them a formidable squad. Whether you rate the individual backs or not, they are excellent at manufacturing breaks. They have an excellent set of back rows and a solid set of props who have a good mindset, marshalled by a solid hooker. With TOmikns they'll also have that bit of magic that may pull it out the bag when "the system" is not working for them.
However, he can't catch a bomb so well, so hopefully every team will pepper him to death and spoil his return.
It will be genuinely interesting to see who looks the better all-round #1 between him and Hardaker, now that they're back in the same division. I just wish J-Lo's luck hadn't knocked him out of that particular race.
