What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Sam Tomkins: We've stumbled but have potential

Benek

Juniors
Messages
1,974
From: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11221390

Star recruit Sam Tomkins has joined the Herald. The England fullback will write a fortnightly column, starting today.

There's no doubt my introduction to the NRL has been tough.
I knew it was going to be like that coming into the season from both a personal and team point of view.


The NRL is a tough competition and you need to be at your best every week, and we haven't been able to do that over the last fortnight.
For some reason, we haven't played to the same structures we have practised during the week.


I'm not happy with my form yet. Nobody is playing their best in round one or two and, like the rest of the team, I have things to work on and I'm going to get better.


Pressure is not an issue. I have been asked about that a million times since I signed with the Warriors but I'm concentrating on doing my job for this group, nothing else.



No amount of external pressure is going to bother me.


We are a very tight group and are going to get better. It's a long season. We haven't started as well as we should have but it's a challenge and I'm someone who enjoys a challenge.


It was one of the reasons I signed with the Warriors.


Everybody wants to be in a team that is evolving and growing.


If you go into a side that's already at the very top, you are jumping into a team that is already very successful. Hopefully I can help make a difference.
By the start of last year, I had decided I wanted to leave Wigan and play in the NRL.


The first thing I needed to do was try to negotiate a way of getting out of my contract with Wigan. That was the tough bit. It was a club I enjoyed playing at but I wanted a change.


Once that was resolved, my agent went out to speak to a few clubs and discovered a few were interested. From there, it was a case of choosing where I thought I was best suited and the Warriors came out on top of that.
There are a lot of similarities between Wigan and the Warriors. They are both family-oriented clubs with masses of talent. The Warriors have bags of potential that hasn't been turned into success.


That was the feeling I had when I first came into the Wigan team.


Some things needed changing and we went from being a semifinal team to the top.


I'm really enjoying living in Auckland and it's been better than I expected, apart from the first couple of results. It's a brilliant place. When I told people I was going to New Zealand, many asked why I wasn't going to Australia. It was usually Aussies with their typical Australia-is-the-best-place-in-the-world attitude.


I have been in situations like this before when we have lost the first two games of the season. It's not ideal but these aren't games that are going to cost us silverware.



We are going to get better.
 

JJ

Immortal
Messages
31,801
He has the right attitude... but while pressure might not be an issue, the high ball certainly is...

Although, some cohesion from team mates wouldn't go amiss there
 

vvvrulz

Coach
Messages
13,320
Good article, I really hope he steps up both on the field and as a leadership role as well.
Some of these boys need their ego's steered and Tomkins the sort of guy who can do it.
 

WellsNZ

Juniors
Messages
903
He's a winner and I don't think he's going to tolerate subpar performances very long from himself or from anyone he plays next to which is pretty much exactly what the Warriors need.

As long as he gets his own performance up to scratch because if you're going to have high demands of your team mates, then you need to be performing at a high level yourself.
 

Diesel

Referee
Messages
20,424
He's captain material, him and TL as VC or vice versa, love the positive attitude
 

JJ

Immortal
Messages
31,801
if his teammates could be bothered running decent interference he'd be just fine, i reckon.


Yep, and I said that - but he's also entitled to catch some under pressure too
 

vvvrulz

Coach
Messages
13,320
if his teammates could be bothered running decent interference he'd be just fine, i reckon.

Even when taking up some hitups there is nobody to be found and he gets monstered by the defenders. It needs to stop.
 
Top