Tomikins confirmed today?

[Fast Eddie]

Interesting to reminisce.

For me the big names are broken up into a few areas:-

Big name, had a massive impact: Steven Price
Big name, big mana, indifferent impact: Ruben Wiki
Big name, good impact: Brent Tate
Big name, perhaps a bit long in the tooth: Greg Alexander, Andy Platt, Dennis Betts, Phil Blake
Was once a big name, seen as being a bit long in the tooth, but did a great job: John Simon
Came to the club as a good name but made themselves into a bigger name due to effort: Kevin Campion, PJ Marsh, and to be fair, for a period Wade McKinnon

There's other big 'been there, done that' type players we picked up over the years, Mathew Ridge, Kevin Iro, Quentin Pongia, they never seemed to work out for one reason or another.

I guess one of the things in Sam's favour is he's not an old chap, so it's not like we're picking up sloppy seconds here.

Wiki did give us one really good year on the field in 2005 but was a pretty quick decline from there. Tate was unlucky with the injury, without that he would have been definitely worth the contract.

The thing with Tomkins as you mention is that we will have a star player in the prime of his career. Price was in his prime playing wise 30-33 so we got his prime years but other than that we have never signed a star player in his or approaching their prime.

 

[Micistm]

Interesting to reminisce.

For me the big names are broken up into a few areas:-

Big name, had a massive impact: Steven Price
Big name, big mana, indifferent impact: Ruben Wiki
Big name, good impact: Brent Tate
Big name, perhaps a bit long in the tooth: Greg Alexander, Andy Platt, Dennis Betts, Phil Blake
Was once a big name, seen as being a bit long in the tooth, but did a great job: John Simon
Came to the club as a good name but made themselves into a bigger name due to effort: Kevin Campion, PJ Marsh, and to be fair, for a period Wade McKinnon

There's other big 'been there, done that' type players we picked up over the years, Mathew Ridge, Kevin Iro, Quentin Pongia, they never seemed to work out for one reason or another.

I guess one of the things in Sam's favour is he's not an old chap, so it's not like we're picking up sloppy seconds here.

I like those assessments.
It's a still a worry how much it's going to cost IMO, but if he's on the way good luck to him and I'm excited to see him here in action

 

[WithTheDawn]

I'm sort of curious what this does to the make up of our team if we do get Tomkins. Who do people think from our back line would get pushed out by this? Hard to see us dropping Locke.

 

[MKEB...]

IMO we need a fullback who can run decent lines off of the likes of Mateo/Matulino...Locke does not seem to do that. Locke is more a playmaking FB more suited to playing standoff. I reckon he would be in a battle with Leuluai over starting standoff role. Leuluai also being an above average dummy half is in a tussle also with Friend who has gone great guns this season. I see that TL offers more than Locke.

Tomkins- Runs Great lines, and can play in the halves
Locke- Sheer pace, has a passing game (doesn't put everything into every game)
Leuluai- can/will do everything asked of him IMO perfectly suited to standoff
Friend- I can say the best genuine hooker we have had at the club, and seems to be improving funnily enough.
Townsend... I don't know enough about him
Fish...Runs the lines crazylike..can kiss a bullet in flight, and is learning defence. One prob=injury prone.

Juniors=Hukatai, Tuimavave, lolohea

IMO We could lose Locke, and I am not sure why we signed Townsend

 

[MKEB...]

1. Tompkins
2. Laumape/Ropati
3. Hurrell
4. Neilson
5. Manu
6. Leuluai
7. Johnson

 

[Doug the Morpork]

1. Tompkins
2. Laumape/Ropati
3. Hurrell
4. Neilson
5. Manu
6. Leuluai
7. Johnson

No Fish?

 

[beefstew]

1. Tomkins
2. Locke
3. Hurrell
4. Laumape
5. Fish
6. TL/Townsend
7. Johnson

9. TL/Friend

Real speed and real talent in the backline, with no dummies and no gumby's.

 

[Fast Eddie]

IMO we need a fullback who can run decent lines off of the likes of Mateo/Matulino...Locke does not seem to do that. Locke is more a playmaking FB more suited to playing standoff. I reckon he would be in a battle with Leuluai over starting standoff role. Leuluai also being an above average dummy half is in a tussle also with Friend who has gone great guns this season. I see that TL offers more than Locke.

Tomkins- Runs Great lines, and can play in the halves
Locke- Sheer pace, has a passing game (doesn't put everything into every game)
Leuluai- can/will do everything asked of him IMO perfectly suited to standoff
Friend- I can say the best genuine hooker we have had at the club, and seems to be improving funnily enough.
Townsend... I don't know enough about him
Fish...Runs the lines crazylike..can kiss a bullet in flight, and is learning defence. One prob=injury prone.

Juniors=Hukatai, Tuimavave, lolohea

IMO We could lose Locke, and I am not sure why we signed Townsend

I disagree, I think TL is a pretty good 5/8th but would quickly slot into that tier of hookers just below Smith, Luke, Farah. He's got all the tools to be a good hooker and has proven in the international game he can be a very good one. Thats why I was a bit unphased if Friend left, Leuluai would be able to do everything he does but probably add more creation out of dummyhalf, better running game, and even a kicking game when required.

I also have a lot of doubts over Locke at 6.

 

[Rich102]

I disagree, I think TL is a pretty good 5/8th but would quickly slot into that tier of hookers just below Smith, Luke, Farah. He's got all the tools to be a good hooker and has proven in the international game he can be a very good one. Thats why I was a bit unphased if Friend left, Leuluai would be able to do everything he does but probably add more creation out of dummyhalf, better running game, and even a kicking game when required.

I also have a lot of doubts over Locke at 6.

I agree that TL would make an excellent 9 but that would leave our halves very exposed.
Maybe if Townsend proves in the trials to be adequate in the halves then TL can move.

 

[Fast Eddie]

I agree that TL would make an excellent 9 but that would leave our halves very exposed.
Maybe if Townsend proves in the trials to be adequate in the halves then TL can move.

I imagine they will have to look at Locke at 6 pretty seriously though, I doubt he will want to spend a year on the wing. I think he or the Fish will leave pretty soon tbh. The signing of Tomkins will make one of Locke, Fish or Friend expendable. So despite his good form and reduced contract I'm a little bit surprised they brought Friend back for another season as it could mean Locke or Fish leave. Unless they have no problem using Friend as a back up/depth which is unlikely.

 

[Aragorn]

Interesting to reminisce.

For me the big names are broken up into a few areas:-

Big name, had a massive impact: Steven Price
Big name, big mana, indifferent impact: Ruben Wiki
Big name, good impact: Brent Tate
Big name, perhaps a bit long in the tooth: Greg Alexander, Andy Platt, Dennis Betts, Phil Blake
Was once a big name, seen as being a bit long in the tooth, but did a great job: John Simon
Came to the club as a good name but made themselves into a bigger name due to effort: Kevin Campion, PJ Marsh, and to be fair, for a period Wade McKinnon

There's other big 'been there, done that' type players we picked up over the years, Mathew Ridge, Kevin Iro, Quentin Pongia, they never seemed to work out for one reason or another.

looks like people have already forgotten Michael Luck. And we also got great service from James Maloney & Ivan Cleary.

With the exception of Ruben Wiki, anyone else notice its mainly the white boys making a statement at the club?

Stephen Kearney was a dud. I had big wraps on Tyran Smith when he came here, turned out to be a dud.

 

[Aragorn]

rocks and diamonds man Kris Inu was also a dud.

 

[One Warrior]

looks like people have already forgotten Michael Luck. And we also got great service from James Maloney & Ivan Cleary.

With the exception of Ruben Wiki, anyone else notice its mainly the white boys making a statement at the club?

Stephen Kearney was a dud. I had big wraps on Tyran Smith when he came here, turned out to be a dud.

Agree on Michael Luck, he would certainly go in the same category as Campion etc, a good player who had his best years while playing for us.

Maloney, Brent Webb and Robbie Mears were unpolished stones when they arrived, Mears was great for us, Webb was excellent for us and Maloney had two great years for us before picking up his contract with the Roosters and getting into NSW origin. I disagree on Kearney, He was good for us, got frustrated and went to Storm, he was miles better than Betts was etc.

 

[vvvrulz]

I had big wraps on Tyran Smith when he came here, turned out to be a dud.

I remember getting excited about him too when he signed on, I was pretty young then but I still remember clearly how listless and pathetic he was.

rocks and diamonds man Kris Inu was also a dud.

Off field dramas with the coach hampered him, but in the comparatively little games he played for us he was generally solid and did good work.

Its easy to pinpoint the odd shocker he had especially that Storm "one handed carry into his knees" knock on.

 

[joseph1]

+ Feleti - who has been pretty good for us overall. Much better than Inu, who went the other way.

 

[Diesel]

1. Tomkins
2. Locke
3. Hurrell
4. Laumape
5. Fish
6. TL/Townsend
7. Johnson

9. TL/Friend

Real speed and real talent in the backline, with no dummies and no gumby's.

Looks about right. Manu moving to the forwards perhaps? ...or ESL

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

Speaking of duds - Grant Young anyone? Came with a fearsome reputation, and then showed his hands made Manu look as secure as a bank vault.

 

[warrior poet]

i think with tomkins we would have one of the best set of backs in the comp

1.tomkins
2.laumape
3.hurrell
4.neilsen
5.vatuvei
6.locke
7.johnson

9.leuluai

14. friend
15. peyroux / ropati

i'm favouring having tomkins as fullback with locke at 5/8 (he's said that he wouldn't mind having a go in the halves) but they could alternate depending on the opposition or the situation (plus it would be good to have locke available incase tomkins gets injured (or wants to play the international origin match)

i don't rate townsend enough (i think i've only seen him play 2-3 times) to include him in the team yet

keep ropati as a back up option in case of injury and as a mentor to the younger players

use fish as part of the player transfer to get tomkins... he's to good for the vulcans but not good enough for nrl... injury prone and doesn't stay in form for long, superleague quality at best. plus if you were to rank all our fullbacks and wings (and others who can play those positions) he would be behind manu, locke, laumape, neilsen, hurrell, ropati, peyroux and tomkins (personal opinion)
i would also look at tuimavave being part of a player transfer due to limited opportunities at the warriors, let him go to wigan with us getting first option to resign him if he wants to come back to the nrl.

 

[Skinner]

Speaking of duds - Grant Young anyone? Came with a fearsome reputation, and then showed his hands made Manu look as secure as a bank vault.

Yep, Tyran Smith and Grant Young........I reckon they were brothers :lol:

 

[Shaun Hewitt]

Bit harsh on Smith there I reckon