Really though? He spent a good part of the year isolating defenders one on one against Konny. It's not him doing some crazy run/linebreak, but I call that a huge impact. We've missed the Tomkins-Hurrell combination on the right this year... hugely. In terms of impact on their team last season, Tomkins is probably 3rd/4th in fullbacks (albeit in a pretty rubbish team). In terms of overall performance, a little less so.
Anyway, last year he was quite good - not his price tag good, but good enough to sit in the tier just under the top 2 fullbacks that season (Inglis & Hayne). The real problem is that he didn't kick on with it. He needed to get better - and injuries & early departure (and seemingly having checked out for the past month or so) have meant that instead of improving, he got worse. It was promising, but looking back I think you've gotta call it a flop.
I agree with some of the naysayers and some of the guys talking Tomkins up.
He is a tremendous link player, with fine ball skills and hands. Playing out the back of SJ, he made Kon look great. I was a fan of his last year. I didn't see an issue that he couldn't break the line etc because he put others through it.
This year, injury has stopped his momentum somewhat, and also SJ being injured/out of form/confidence whatever early. Plus the fact we're even worse than we were last year.
But he is a shocking on-line defender. He is too small to hold up attackers close to the line. He is often out of position. He is not a metre-eating fullback (not essential, I'm just saying). He is not quick. He is not particularly good in the air, and certainly was crap early on his time here. And a lot of his good 2014 games (in fact nigh-on all of them) were against weak sides. He never got going v good sides.
And if he's checked out (I haven't watched) then he's also a hypocrite talking about professionalism.
Massive flop, all things said. He was a marquee, big money signing. We'd have got that sort of value out of buying Peta Hiku back.
