Sam Tomkins
Encyclopedia
A pre-season unofficial friendly match provided Tomkins his first experience against top-flight opposition as he came off the bench during Lee Briers
' testimonial match
in a 30–22 loss to Warrington Wolves
. Noble followed this up by providing Tomkins, aged 19, with his first team debut on 12 May against Whitehaven RLFC
in a fifth round Challenge Cup
match. Tomkins became the first player in rugby league history to score five tries on his first-grade debut, scoring his first three to complete a hat-trick
within the first twelve minutes, as the Warriors scored eighteen tries in total on the way to a 106–8 victory.
Despite this, Thomas Leuluai
replaced Tomkins for the team's next match against Warrington, meaning Tomkins would have to wait for his Super League
debut. He played out the rest of the 2008 season in the reserves, some of his highlights including a hat-trick against Castleford Tigers
and another five-try performance against Harlequins RL. After scoring four tries against Hull
's reserves, Tomkins was tipped to make at least ten Super League appearances in 2009 season by Shaun Wane
, Wigan's reserve coach. He also received an endorsement from Ian Lenagan
, the club's chairman, when he said, "I think Sam is going to be a world-class half-back and we want to give him his chance." Tomkins was named Reserve Team Player of the Year at the Wigan Warriors' inaugural awards evening.
and then against Leigh Centurions
. For 2009, Tomkins was given the number 25 shirt.
Wigan faced their worst start to a season since 1966 after losing their opening three matches. Tomkins was brought into the squad and came off the bench against Harlequins for his league debut during their fourth match of the season. Tomkins made a break early in the second half which allowed George Carmont
to claim the equalising try. Tomkins took Tim Smith's starting place in the team for their next match against Bradford Bulls
. After scoring twice for a brace against Salford City Reds
, he earned his first league tries. He also scored in a fourth round cup match against Barrow Raiders
. For the round 10 fixture against Celtic Crusaders
, Tomkins was relegated to the bench as Smith made his first start in eight games. However Tomkins came on as an interchange to score his second brace of the season.
He also scored the final try of the match in Wigan's fifth round cup win over Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
, and although he was found guilty on a charge of kicking out in the tackle against another player, he escaped a match ban. With Smith expressing his desire to return home to Australia following the 2009 season, Tomkins was tipped by Lenagan as Wigan's long-term replacement at stand-off. Tomkins was named in a train-on squad for England
's friendly test match
against France
, although he did not play. He was dropped in round 15 for Wigan's match against Salford, but returned off the bench and scored against Hull Kingston Rovers
in round 18. Tomkins played every game for the Warriors thereafter, except for the final regular round fixture of the season against Huddersfield, until the team were knocked out of the Super League play-offs
by St. Helens RLFC. Included in this run of appearances was a hat-trick and Tomkins' first drop goal against Castleford Tigers
in round 25.
In the same year he made his league debut, Tomkins was named in the Super League Dream Team
at stand-off, and was also voted by journalists in the Rugby League Writers' Association
as Super League Young Player of the Year. At the Wigan Warriors' own awards evening, he was named Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year. Tomkins would go on to play for England during the 2009 Four Nations. He ended the domestic season with twenty-seven first-grade appearances, twenty-three of which in the league, as well as fifteen tries. In doing this, Tomkins had more than doubled the estimation of ten league games made by Wane during the previous season. He was given a five-year contract from the club.
was revealed as the new head coach of Wigan Warriors. In Maguire's 2010 squad, Tomkins' position as Wigan's first choice stand-off was confirmed when he received the #6 shirt from the departed Smith. The club also signed Wigan-born Paul Deacon
during the pre-season, with the intention of having him mentor Tomkins in an assistant coaching role.
Tomkins played in every match of Wigan's 2010 season. He started in three cup matches, scoring hat-tricks against Sheffield Eagles
and Widnes Vikings
. He also featured in all of Wigan's fixtures of the Super League XV
regular season, with the team finishing top of the league table and winning the League Leader's Shield
. By virtue of this the team qualified for the play-offs, in which Tomkins made a further four appearances on the way to Wigan's Grand Final
victory over St. Helens—the club's first league title since 1998
and Tomkins' first honour as a player.
Tomkins was played at scrum-half for the Warriors' round 12 fixture against Harlequins with Sean O'Loughlin
covering his position at stand-off instead. In round 15, again against Harlequins, Tomkins marked his first league appearance as a fullback with the game's first score and a try-saving tackle on Lamont Bryan
. The Daily Mirror reported Maguire as saying, "Sam wanted a go at fullback and played very well. He's a quality kid in any position." He remained in that position for the rest of the season, including the Grand Final, except for one match against Warrington in round 22 where he was reverted to stand-off again.
Over 34 total appearances, Tomkins improved on his 2009 record with 21 tries and four goals. In the league, he claimed four braces in total: once as a stand-off against Hull, and three times as a fullback against Salford, Hull again and Leeds Rhinos
. He also scored a try during the Grand Final against St. Helens. Despite finishing the season as Wigan's regular fullback, Tomkins maintained his place in the 2010 Super League Dream Team
in the stand-off position. Also in the team was Joel Tomkins at second-row. This was the first time a Super League Dream Team had featured two brothers. At the Super League XV awards evening, where his Wigan teammate Pat Richards
was voted by his fellow Super League players as Man of Steel for having the biggest impact on the season, Tomkins retained his Young Player of the Year title. He also received 2010's Albert Goldthorpe Medal
for 'best and fairest' player of the season. He was also named Rookie of the Year by the Rugby League International Federation
during the 2010 Four Nations
, in which he played for England.
, whose 2010 season was blighted by injury and was not offered a new contract. With speculation that Tomkins might move to the National Rugby League
or switch codes to rugby union
, Wigan offered him a new five-year contract keeping him at the club until the end of the 2015 season.
Tomkins made 34 appearances during the 2011 season: 28 in the Super League, 5 in the Challenge Cup, and one in the World Club Challenge
, in which he scored a drop goal in Wigan's 15–21 loss to the St. George Illawarra Dragons. Tomkins received a match ban in round 6, for joining a fight in the previous match against Hull, meaning that for the first time since the final regular round fixture against Huddersfield in 2009, he missed a first-grade match. Due to his involvement for England in the inaugural International Origin against the Exiles, he was also rested for Wigan's away game against Castleford.
His scoring record in 2011 started in the opening round against St. Helens in which he kicked a goal but missed a drop goal which would have won the game for Wigan. His first try came during Wigan's next game at Bradford. A match-tying penalty kicked by Tomkins salvaged a draw for Wigan against Leeds. From 25 April to 4 June, Tomkins scored thirteen tries in seven games for the Warriors, including braces against Crusaders and Harlequins in the league and Barrow in the cup, as well as a hat-trick against Hull Kingston Rovers. He scored his second hat-trick of the season against Huddersfield, taking his career total to six. In Wigan's fifth round cup win over Bradford, Gareth Raynor
's high tackle left Tomkins unconscious as he was scoring a try, an incident which ended both Raynor's and Tomkins' involvement in the match due to a sending-off
and a head injury respectively. Despite missing part of Wigan's away match to Hull because of a shoulder injury, Tomkins returned from the bench and scored two tries in a 16–30 victory; after the match, Sky Sports
reported that he had become a "strong favourite" for the season's Man of Steel award. He followed this up a week later with a try-scoring man of the match performance against St. Helens as Wigan won their first cup semifinal since 2004. Wigan returned to league action with a win at home to Salford, with Tomkins scoring four tries. He scored another brace against Bradford in Wigan's last match before the Challenge Cup final. Tomkins played in that final as part of a victorious Wigan team, giving Tomkins his first Challenge Cup honour, although Jeff Lima
was given the Lance Todd Trophy
award which Tomkins had been pre-match favourite to win. After the final, the Rugby Football League
investigated and found Tomkins guilty of an obscene gesture aimed at fans of the opposing Leeds team, for which he was given a suspended GBP£
1,000 fine. His points tally for Wigan's season totalled 32 tries, five goals, and one drop goal. After the season, he signed a new contract to play for Wigan, shortly after his brother Joel agreed to switch codes and play rugby union
for Saracens F.C.
According to The Guardian
, the deal would make Sam Tomkins the highest paid player in Super League at £300,000 a year, and would rule out a cross-code transfer of his own for at least three years.
, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, England
's campaign ended with a 32–22 loss to New Zealand
at the semi-final stage. England responded to their exit from the tournament by replacing a number of veterans with younger players for the 2009 Four Nations. Tomkins, who was then playing at stand-off for Wigan, was included in a new-look squad which featured a quarter of its players aged 21 or below.
On 18 October 2009, having played less than thirty games for Wigan, Tomkins made his international debut for Tony Smith's England team against Wales at Brewery Field
in a warm-up match for the Four Nations tournament. The then-twenty year old scored a hat-trick in a 12–48 victory, with Iestyn Harris
, the Welsh head coach and former cross-code test international, praising Tomkins' contribution to the winning England team. Despite this, Tomkins was left out of the squad that faced France
in the opening Four Nations fixture. He replaced Richie Myler
for England's defeat against Australia
at Wigan's DW Stadium, with an impressed Darren Lockyer
, the Australian captain, stating after the match, "To be honest, we didn’t really know their young fellas. We do now." With Smith showing confidence in the young half-back pairing between Kyle Eastmond
, Tomkins maintained his place in the squad which won their must-win match against New Zealand for a place in the tournament final. The hosting England side, playing at Elland Road
in Leeds
, were overcome by Australia in the closing thirty minutes of the final despite leading 16–14 at one point, although the pairing between Eastmond and Tomkins was, according to Sky Sports
, impressive.
Smith resigned as England coach following the Four Nations, with Steve McNamara
announced as the team's new head coach. Tomkins kept his place in the England team when they played France in a mid-season friendly, and he responded by scoring four tries on England's way to a 60–6 win, a record-equalling tally for an England player in a single match. Tomkins appeared in all three of England's matches at the 2010 Four Nations
, firstly in a defeat to New Zealand where a Kevin Brown try scored from a Tomkins kick was disallowed by the video referee due to Tomkins pushing Greg Eastwood
in the process. Another comprehensive defeat to Australia ended England's hopes of reaching the final, in a match where Tomkins made his first international switch from the halves to fullback. He stayed in this position for England's final match against Papua New Guinea
, a 36–10 victory in which Tony Clubb
equalled Tomkins' four-try record.
Tomkins featured at full-back for the inaugural International Origin in 2011, which England lost thanks to Wigan teammate George Carmont
's 79th minute try for the Exiles. Tomkins was booed by England supporters from opposing clubs within the Headingley
crowd at Leeds, an incident which was criticised as "disgraceful" by Jamie Peacock
, the England captain and Leeds Rhinos
forward, however Wigan head coach Michael Maguire
claimed Tomkins had not been affected by the abuse. Following the completion of the rugby league domestic season, Tomkins was included in a pre-Four Nations test against France. In England's opening match of the 2011 Four Nations against Wales
, he scored four tries, which for the second time in his international career equalled the record for the most tries by a player representing England. After playing against Australia at Wembley Stadium
in a match which England ended the losing side, Tomkins scored a try against New Zealand. England's victory over the Kiwis meant that for the second time in three years, Tomkins featured for England in a Four Nations final against Australia, although they ended runners-up to Australia after losing 8–30. A week after the final, he played at right wing and scored a try for the Barbarians, a British-based invitational rugby union
side, against the Australian Wallabies, although the Barbarians lost 11–60. The match was Tomkins's first match of professional rugby union; Tomkins admitted that prior to training with the Barbarians he did not know what numbers were allocated to which position in rugby union. On his first experience of the sport, Tomkins was quoted by the BBC
as saying, "I am glad I have had the chance to play but I am still a rugby league player."
: 1
Challenge Cup
: 1
Lee Briers
Lee Briers is a professional rugby league player who currently plays for Warrington Wolves in the Super League. He previously played for St Helens, and at international level he won 23 caps for Wales, many of those as captain...
' testimonial match
Testimonial match
A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
in a 30–22 loss to Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
. Noble followed this up by providing Tomkins, aged 19, with his first team debut on 12 May against Whitehaven RLFC
Whitehaven RLFC
Whitehaven RLFC is a rugby league club playing in Whitehaven in West Cumbria. They play in Co-operative Championship. Their stadium is called the Recreation Ground...
in a fifth round Challenge Cup
2008 Challenge Cup
The 2008 Carnegie Challenge Cup began in February 2008. The Challenge Cup is the most prestigious knock-out competition in the world of Rugby League, featuring teams from across Europe, including England, Scotland, Wales, France and Russia....
match. Tomkins became the first player in rugby league history to score five tries on his first-grade debut, scoring his first three to complete a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
within the first twelve minutes, as the Warriors scored eighteen tries in total on the way to a 106–8 victory.
Despite this, Thomas Leuluai
Thomas Leuluai
Thomas Leuluai is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Wigan Warriors in the Super League. His position is at half-back...
replaced Tomkins for the team's next match against Warrington, meaning Tomkins would have to wait for his Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
debut. He played out the rest of the 2008 season in the reserves, some of his highlights including a hat-trick against Castleford Tigers
Castleford Tigers
Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas', 'Cas Tigers', 'Classy Cas' or the 'Black & Amber'...
and another five-try performance against Harlequins RL. After scoring four tries against Hull
Hull FC
Hull Football Club, commonly referred to as Hull or Hull FC, is a professional rugby league football club established in 1865 and based in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The club plays in the Super League competition...
's reserves, Tomkins was tipped to make at least ten Super League appearances in 2009 season by Shaun Wane
Shaun Wane
Shaun D. Wane is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and '90s, and current coach at Wigan Warriors. He played at representative level for Great Britain, and at club level for Wigan St Patricks, Wigan, Leeds, and Workington Town, playing at , /, i.e...
, Wigan's reserve coach. He also received an endorsement from Ian Lenagan
Ian Lenagan
Ian Lenagan is a Business entrepreneur, theatre producer and shareholder of Harlequins RL & Oxford United FC as well as chairman and owner of Wigan Warriors-Early life:...
, the club's chairman, when he said, "I think Sam is going to be a world-class half-back and we want to give him his chance." Tomkins was named Reserve Team Player of the Year at the Wigan Warriors' inaugural awards evening.
2009 season
The club played Warrington over the 2008 Christmas holidays, as a pre-season friendly to Wigan's 2009 season. Tomkins claimed a hat-trick as the team swept aside a young and inexperienced Warrington side 44–4. Tomkins also featured in the club's two other fixtures during the pre-season, firstly against Huddersfield GiantsHuddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C....
and then against Leigh Centurions
Leigh Centurions
Leigh Centurions is an English professional rugby league club based in Leigh, Greater Manchester who play in the Co-operative Championship.The club was founded in 1878 as Leigh Rugby Football Club and is one of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in...
. For 2009, Tomkins was given the number 25 shirt.
Wigan faced their worst start to a season since 1966 after losing their opening three matches. Tomkins was brought into the squad and came off the bench against Harlequins for his league debut during their fourth match of the season. Tomkins made a break early in the second half which allowed George Carmont
George Carmont
George Carmont is a professional rugby league footballer for the Wigan Warriors of the Super League competition...
to claim the equalising try. Tomkins took Tim Smith's starting place in the team for their next match against Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....
. After scoring twice for a brace against Salford City Reds
Salford City Reds
Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup...
, he earned his first league tries. He also scored in a fourth round cup match against Barrow Raiders
Barrow Raiders
Barrow Raiders are an English professional rugby league team from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, who are coached by Dave Clark. Formed in 1875 as Barrow Football Club, the club is the oldest of the current professional sports teams in Cumbria....
. For the round 10 fixture against Celtic Crusaders
Celtic Crusaders
Crusaders Rugby League were a professional rugby league club based in Bridgend and later in Wrexham, Wales. They played for six seasons in the Rugby Football League competitions, including three years in the Super League from 2009 to 2011....
, Tomkins was relegated to the bench as Smith made his first start in eight games. However Tomkins came on as an interchange to score his second brace of the season.
He also scored the final try of the match in Wigan's fifth round cup win over Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
, and although he was found guilty on a charge of kicking out in the tackle against another player, he escaped a match ban. With Smith expressing his desire to return home to Australia following the 2009 season, Tomkins was tipped by Lenagan as Wigan's long-term replacement at stand-off. Tomkins was named in a train-on squad for England
England national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
's friendly test match
Test match (rugby league)
A Test match in rugby league football is a representative match between teams representing members of the Rugby League International Federation.The definition of a Test match differs from that of an international match...
against France
France national rugby league team
The France national rugby league team represent France in international rugby league tournaments. They are also sometimes referred to as "Les Tricolores" or more commonly "Les Chanticleers"...
, although he did not play. He was dropped in round 15 for Wigan's match against Salford, but returned off the bench and scored against Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is an English professional rugby league football club based in Hull, England. The club formed in 1882 and currently competes in Super League, having won promotion from National League One in 2006...
in round 18. Tomkins played every game for the Warriors thereafter, except for the final regular round fixture of the season against Huddersfield, until the team were knocked out of the Super League play-offs
Super League play-offs
Since 1998 a play-off system has been used to determine the Super League champions. The format has changed over the years, starting with a play-off involving first five, then six teams and currently eight. The play-offs culminate in the Super League Grand Final....
by St. Helens RLFC. Included in this run of appearances was a hat-trick and Tomkins' first drop goal against Castleford Tigers
Castleford Tigers
Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas', 'Cas Tigers', 'Classy Cas' or the 'Black & Amber'...
in round 25.
In the same year he made his league debut, Tomkins was named in the Super League Dream Team
Super League Dream Team
The Super League Dream Team is an award given each season to the players deemed to have been the best in their position in the Super League by a panel of journalists and broadcasters....
at stand-off, and was also voted by journalists in the Rugby League Writers' Association
Rugby League Writers' Association
The Rugby League Writers' Association is made up from accredited members of the English news media who write about the sport in newspapers or present for television and radio programmes....
as Super League Young Player of the Year. At the Wigan Warriors' own awards evening, he was named Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year. Tomkins would go on to play for England during the 2009 Four Nations. He ended the domestic season with twenty-seven first-grade appearances, twenty-three of which in the league, as well as fifteen tries. In doing this, Tomkins had more than doubled the estimation of ten league games made by Wane during the previous season. He was given a five-year contract from the club.
2010 season
Following the play-off loss to St. Helens, Noble announced his departure from the club after not being offered a new contract, and five days later Michael MaguireMichael Maguire (rugby league)
Michael Maguire is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. He is the head coach of the South Sydney Rabbitohs in Australia's National Rugby League . After serving as assistant coach of the Melbourne Storm under Craig Bellamy, in 2009 he became the head coach of...
was revealed as the new head coach of Wigan Warriors. In Maguire's 2010 squad, Tomkins' position as Wigan's first choice stand-off was confirmed when he received the #6 shirt from the departed Smith. The club also signed Wigan-born Paul Deacon
Paul Deacon
Paul Deacon is a retired rugby league footballer. He previously played for Bradford Bulls from 1998 until joining his hometown club Wigan Warriors in 2010...
during the pre-season, with the intention of having him mentor Tomkins in an assistant coaching role.
Tomkins played in every match of Wigan's 2010 season. He started in three cup matches, scoring hat-tricks against Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles RLFC are an English rugby league club based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane after leaving Don Valley Stadium in late 2009....
and Widnes Vikings
Widnes Vikings
Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward...
. He also featured in all of Wigan's fixtures of the Super League XV
Super League XV
The 2010 Super League season was the fifteenth season of rugby league football since the Super League format was introduced in 1996. Fourteen teams competed for the League Leader's Shield over 27 rounds . All clubs also participated in the 2010 Challenge Cup tournament...
regular season, with the team finishing top of the league table and winning the League Leader's Shield
League Leader's Shield
The League Leader’s Shield, often called The Hubcap is a trophy awarded to the team finishing the season top of Super League in the sport of rugby league football. Currently the championship is decided on the basis of a play-off series, and the Shield is thus regarded as a lesser prize...
. By virtue of this the team qualified for the play-offs, in which Tomkins made a further four appearances on the way to Wigan's Grand Final
2010 Super League Grand Final
The 2010 Super League Grand Final was the conclusive and championship-deciding game of Super League XV. Held on Saturday 2 October 2010, at Manchester's Old Trafford stadium, the match was contested by English clubs St Helens and Wigan Warriors...
victory over St. Helens—the club's first league title since 1998
Super League III
-Dream Team:The Super League Dream Team for the 1998 season was: 1 Kris Radlinski 2 Jason Robinson 3 Gary Connolly 4 ? 5 Anthony Sullivan 6 Iestyn Harris 7 Gavin Clinch 8 Dale Laughton 9 Robbie McCormack 10 ? 11 Steele Retchless 12 ? 13 ?-External links:**...
and Tomkins' first honour as a player.
Tomkins was played at scrum-half for the Warriors' round 12 fixture against Harlequins with Sean O'Loughlin
Sean O'Loughlin
Sean O'Loughlin is an English professional rugby league footballer who captains the Wigan Warriors of Europe's Super League. A Great Britain and England international representative , and /, he has played his entire career to date with Wigan, with whom he won the 2010 Super League XV...
covering his position at stand-off instead. In round 15, again against Harlequins, Tomkins marked his first league appearance as a fullback with the game's first score and a try-saving tackle on Lamont Bryan
Lamont Bryan
Lamont Bryan is a Jamaican rugby league player.Bryan plays for Harlequins RL in the European Super League having started out as a junior at South London Storm....
. The Daily Mirror reported Maguire as saying, "Sam wanted a go at fullback and played very well. He's a quality kid in any position." He remained in that position for the rest of the season, including the Grand Final, except for one match against Warrington in round 22 where he was reverted to stand-off again.
Over 34 total appearances, Tomkins improved on his 2009 record with 21 tries and four goals. In the league, he claimed four braces in total: once as a stand-off against Hull, and three times as a fullback against Salford, Hull again and Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
. He also scored a try during the Grand Final against St. Helens. Despite finishing the season as Wigan's regular fullback, Tomkins maintained his place in the 2010 Super League Dream Team
Super League Dream Team
The Super League Dream Team is an award given each season to the players deemed to have been the best in their position in the Super League by a panel of journalists and broadcasters....
in the stand-off position. Also in the team was Joel Tomkins at second-row. This was the first time a Super League Dream Team had featured two brothers. At the Super League XV awards evening, where his Wigan teammate Pat Richards
Pat Richards
Pat Richards is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Wigan Warriors of Europe's Super League. An Ireland and Exiles international representative winger, he previously played in the National Rugby League for Sydney clubs the Parramatta Eels and Wests Tigers, winning the 2005...
was voted by his fellow Super League players as Man of Steel for having the biggest impact on the season, Tomkins retained his Young Player of the Year title. He also received 2010's Albert Goldthorpe Medal
Albert Goldthorpe Medal
The Albert Goldthorpe Medal is an award that has been created by Rugby Leaguer & League Express to honour the leading players in Super League and to honour Albert Goldthorpe who was English rugby league's first superstar at the turn of the 20th century....
for 'best and fairest' player of the season. He was also named Rookie of the Year by the Rugby League International Federation
Rugby League International Federation
The Rugby League International Federation is the world governing body of rugby league football. It was formed in 1998 in Sydney, Australia. Its purpose is to, "foster, develop, extend, govern and administer the game of Rugby League throughout the world". Its headquarters are in Sydney, Australia,...
during the 2010 Four Nations
2010 Rugby League Four Nations
The 2010 Rugby League Four Nations tournament was played in Australia and New Zealand in October and November 2010. The tournament was the second time the Four Nations had been held, following on from the 2009 edition held in England and France....
, in which he played for England.
2011 season
The previous season's transition to fullback was made permanent by the club when Tomkins inherited the #1 shirt from Cameron PhelpsCameron Phelps
Cameron Phelps is an Australian rugby league player for Hull in the European Super League competition...
, whose 2010 season was blighted by injury and was not offered a new contract. With speculation that Tomkins might move to the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
or switch codes to rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, Wigan offered him a new five-year contract keeping him at the club until the end of the 2015 season.
Tomkins made 34 appearances during the 2011 season: 28 in the Super League, 5 in the Challenge Cup, and one in the World Club Challenge
2011 World Club Challenge
The 2011 World Club Challenge was contested by Super League XV champions, Wigan Warriors, and 2010 NRL Premiers, the St. George Illawarra Dragons...
, in which he scored a drop goal in Wigan's 15–21 loss to the St. George Illawarra Dragons. Tomkins received a match ban in round 6, for joining a fight in the previous match against Hull, meaning that for the first time since the final regular round fixture against Huddersfield in 2009, he missed a first-grade match. Due to his involvement for England in the inaugural International Origin against the Exiles, he was also rested for Wigan's away game against Castleford.
His scoring record in 2011 started in the opening round against St. Helens in which he kicked a goal but missed a drop goal which would have won the game for Wigan. His first try came during Wigan's next game at Bradford. A match-tying penalty kicked by Tomkins salvaged a draw for Wigan against Leeds. From 25 April to 4 June, Tomkins scored thirteen tries in seven games for the Warriors, including braces against Crusaders and Harlequins in the league and Barrow in the cup, as well as a hat-trick against Hull Kingston Rovers. He scored his second hat-trick of the season against Huddersfield, taking his career total to six. In Wigan's fifth round cup win over Bradford, Gareth Raynor
Gareth Raynor
Gareth Raynor is a rugby league player and former Great Britain international who previously played for the Crusaders and Hull in the Super League. and from his release from prison on 31 December 2010 he will be playing for the Bradford Bulls having signed a 1 year contract.- Early career:Raynor...
's high tackle left Tomkins unconscious as he was scoring a try, an incident which ended both Raynor's and Tomkins' involvement in the match due to a sending-off
Ejection (sports)
In sports, an ejection is one of several disqualifying actions assessed to a player or coach by a game official , usually for unsportsmanlike conduct....
and a head injury respectively. Despite missing part of Wigan's away match to Hull because of a shoulder injury, Tomkins returned from the bench and scored two tries in a 16–30 victory; after the match, Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
reported that he had become a "strong favourite" for the season's Man of Steel award. He followed this up a week later with a try-scoring man of the match performance against St. Helens as Wigan won their first cup semifinal since 2004. Wigan returned to league action with a win at home to Salford, with Tomkins scoring four tries. He scored another brace against Bradford in Wigan's last match before the Challenge Cup final. Tomkins played in that final as part of a victorious Wigan team, giving Tomkins his first Challenge Cup honour, although Jeff Lima
Jeff Lima
Jeff Lima is a professional rugby league footballer for the Wigan Warriors of Europe's Super League...
was given the Lance Todd Trophy
Lance Todd Trophy
The Lance Todd Trophy is awarded to the Man-of-the-Match in rugby league football's Challenge Cup Final.The trophy was introduced in 1946, in memory of Lance Todd, the New Zealand-born player and administrator, who was killed in a road accident during the Second World War...
award which Tomkins had been pre-match favourite to win. After the final, the Rugby Football League
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
investigated and found Tomkins guilty of an obscene gesture aimed at fans of the opposing Leeds team, for which he was given a suspended GBP£
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
1,000 fine. His points tally for Wigan's season totalled 32 tries, five goals, and one drop goal. After the season, he signed a new contract to play for Wigan, shortly after his brother Joel agreed to switch codes and play rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
for Saracens F.C.
Saracens F.C.
Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England...
According to The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, the deal would make Sam Tomkins the highest paid player in Super League at £300,000 a year, and would rule out a cross-code transfer of his own for at least three years.
Representative career
In the 2008 World Cup2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, England
England national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
's campaign ended with a 32–22 loss to New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
at the semi-final stage. England responded to their exit from the tournament by replacing a number of veterans with younger players for the 2009 Four Nations. Tomkins, who was then playing at stand-off for Wigan, was included in a new-look squad which featured a quarter of its players aged 21 or below.
On 18 October 2009, having played less than thirty games for Wigan, Tomkins made his international debut for Tony Smith's England team against Wales at Brewery Field
Brewery Field
Brewery Field is a 8,000 capacity sports stadium in Bridgend, Wales 1,100 of which is seated capacity...
in a warm-up match for the Four Nations tournament. The then-twenty year old scored a hat-trick in a 12–48 victory, with Iestyn Harris
Iestyn Harris
Iestyn Rhys Harris is a Welsh former rugby league footballer, who is currently the assistant coach at Wigan Warriors. Harris is a former Man of Steel winner and has also represented Wales on numerous occasions at both codes of rugby...
, the Welsh head coach and former cross-code test international, praising Tomkins' contribution to the winning England team. Despite this, Tomkins was left out of the squad that faced France
France national rugby league team
The France national rugby league team represent France in international rugby league tournaments. They are also sometimes referred to as "Les Tricolores" or more commonly "Les Chanticleers"...
in the opening Four Nations fixture. He replaced Richie Myler
Richie Myler
Richie Myler is an England International Rugby League player for the Warrington Wolves of Super League. He plays as a scrum-half....
for England's defeat against Australia
Australian national rugby league team
The Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
at Wigan's DW Stadium, with an impressed Darren Lockyer
Darren Lockyer
Darren Lockyer is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He was the captain of the Australian national team, the Queensland State of Origin team and his National Rugby League club, the Brisbane Broncos. His professional career spanned between 1995 and 2011...
, the Australian captain, stating after the match, "To be honest, we didn’t really know their young fellas. We do now." With Smith showing confidence in the young half-back pairing between Kyle Eastmond
Kyle Eastmond
Kyle Eastmond is a professional rugby union footballer who currently plays for Bath, and has played for St. Helens in Super League and internationally for England. Eastmond has been compared to Australian international Scott Prince, because of his darting runs to the line and a good kicking game....
, Tomkins maintained his place in the squad which won their must-win match against New Zealand for a place in the tournament final. The hosting England side, playing at Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, were overcome by Australia in the closing thirty minutes of the final despite leading 16–14 at one point, although the pairing between Eastmond and Tomkins was, according to Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
, impressive.
Smith resigned as England coach following the Four Nations, with Steve McNamara
Steve McNamara
Steve McNamara is an English professional rugby league football coach and former player. He is currently coach of the England national team.-International honours:...
announced as the team's new head coach. Tomkins kept his place in the England team when they played France in a mid-season friendly, and he responded by scoring four tries on England's way to a 60–6 win, a record-equalling tally for an England player in a single match. Tomkins appeared in all three of England's matches at the 2010 Four Nations
2010 Rugby League Four Nations
The 2010 Rugby League Four Nations tournament was played in Australia and New Zealand in October and November 2010. The tournament was the second time the Four Nations had been held, following on from the 2009 edition held in England and France....
, firstly in a defeat to New Zealand where a Kevin Brown try scored from a Tomkins kick was disallowed by the video referee due to Tomkins pushing Greg Eastwood
Greg Eastwood
Greg Eastwood is a professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Canterbury Bulldogs in the NRL. A New Zealand international representative lock or second row forward, he previously for the Brisbane Broncos, Bulldogs in the NRL and Leeds Rhinos in the European Super League...
in the process. Another comprehensive defeat to Australia ended England's hopes of reaching the final, in a match where Tomkins made his first international switch from the halves to fullback. He stayed in this position for England's final match against Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea national rugby league team
The Papua New Guinea national rugby league team represents Papua New Guinea internationally in the sport of rugby league football.In Papua New Guinea, Rugby league is highly popular and is regarded as the country’s national sport. The national side are known as the Kumuls...
, a 36–10 victory in which Tony Clubb
Tony Clubb
Tony Clubb is an English professional rugby league footballer for Harlequins RL of Super League. An England international representative centre, he has played his whole professional career to date with the Harlequins....
equalled Tomkins' four-try record.
Tomkins featured at full-back for the inaugural International Origin in 2011, which England lost thanks to Wigan teammate George Carmont
George Carmont
George Carmont is a professional rugby league footballer for the Wigan Warriors of the Super League competition...
's 79th minute try for the Exiles. Tomkins was booed by England supporters from opposing clubs within the Headingley
Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
crowd at Leeds, an incident which was criticised as "disgraceful" by Jamie Peacock
Jamie Peacock
James "Jamie" Peacock is an English professional rugby league footballer for the Leeds Rhinos of the European Super League...
, the England captain and Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
forward, however Wigan head coach Michael Maguire
Michael Maguire (rugby league)
Michael Maguire is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. He is the head coach of the South Sydney Rabbitohs in Australia's National Rugby League . After serving as assistant coach of the Melbourne Storm under Craig Bellamy, in 2009 he became the head coach of...
claimed Tomkins had not been affected by the abuse. Following the completion of the rugby league domestic season, Tomkins was included in a pre-Four Nations test against France. In England's opening match of the 2011 Four Nations against Wales
Wales national rugby league team
The Wales national rugby league team represent Wales in international rugby league football matches. Currently the team is seventh in the RLIF World Rankings. The team were run under the auspices of the Rugby Football League, but an independent body, Wales Rugby League, now runs the team from...
, he scored four tries, which for the second time in his international career equalled the record for the most tries by a player representing England. After playing against Australia at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
in a match which England ended the losing side, Tomkins scored a try against New Zealand. England's victory over the Kiwis meant that for the second time in three years, Tomkins featured for England in a Four Nations final against Australia, although they ended runners-up to Australia after losing 8–30. A week after the final, he played at right wing and scored a try for the Barbarians, a British-based invitational rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
side, against the Australian Wallabies, although the Barbarians lost 11–60. The match was Tomkins's first match of professional rugby union; Tomkins admitted that prior to training with the Barbarians he did not know what numbers were allocated to which position in rugby union. On his first experience of the sport, Tomkins was quoted by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as saying, "I am glad I have had the chance to play but I am still a rugby league player."
International test caps
As per the official England Rugby League website, not including International Origin matches.| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 October 2009 | Brewery Field Brewery Field Brewery Field is a 8,000 capacity sports stadium in Bridgend, Wales 1,100 of which is seated capacity... , Bridgend Bridgend Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town... , Wales |
12–48 | Win | Friendly | |
| 2 | 31 October 2009 | DW Stadium, Wigan Wigan Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total... , England |
16–26 | Loss | 2009 Four Nations | |
| 3 | 7 November 2009 | Galpharm Stadium Galpharm Stadium The Galpharm Stadium, formerly the Alfred McAlpine Stadium, is a multi-use sports in Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England. Since 1994, it has been the home ground of Huddersfield Town and Super League side, Huddersfield Giants.-The Stadium:... , Huddersfield Huddersfield Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city.... , England |
20–12 | Win | 2009 Four Nations | |
| 4 | 14 November 2009 | Elland Road Elland Road Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C... , Leeds Leeds Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial... , England |
16–46 | Loss | 2009 Four Nations | |
| 5 | 12 June 2010 | Leigh Sports Village Leigh Sports Village Leigh Sports Village is an £50 million multi-use sports, retail and housing development in Leigh, Greater Manchester, England. Leigh Sports Village plays host to three of the towns sporting clubs. Amateur rugby league club, Leigh East and amateur athletics club, Leigh Harriers occupy dedicated... , Leigh Leigh, Greater Manchester Leigh is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Wigan, and west of Manchester. Leigh is situated on low lying land to the north west of Chat Moss.... , England |
60–6 | Win | Friendly | |
| 6 | 23 October 2010 | Westpac Stadium Westpac Stadium Westpac Stadium, is a major sporting venue in Wellington, New Zealand. Due to its shape and silver coloured external walls, it is colloquially known as The Cake-Tin to the locals and other New Zealanders... , Wellington Wellington Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range... , New Zealand |
24–10 | Loss | 2010 Four Nations 2010 Rugby League Four Nations The 2010 Rugby League Four Nations tournament was played in Australia and New Zealand in October and November 2010. The tournament was the second time the Four Nations had been held, following on from the 2009 edition held in England and France.... |
|
| 7 | 31 October 2010 | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium Melbourne Rectangular Stadium The Melbourne Rectangular Stadium is an outdoor sports stadium on the site of Edwin Flack Field on Olympic Boulevard in the Sports and Entertainment Precinct, in inner Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.... , Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... , Australia |
34–14 | Loss | 2010 Four Nations 2010 Rugby League Four Nations The 2010 Rugby League Four Nations tournament was played in Australia and New Zealand in October and November 2010. The tournament was the second time the Four Nations had been held, following on from the 2009 edition held in England and France.... |
|
| 8 | 6 November 2010 | Eden Park Eden Park Eden Park is the biggest stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is used primarily for rugby union in winter and cricket in summer . The ground also occasionally hostts rugby league matches. To accommodate all three sports, the cricket pitch is removable... , Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , New Zealand |
36–10 | Win | 2010 Four Nations 2010 Rugby League Four Nations The 2010 Rugby League Four Nations tournament was played in Australia and New Zealand in October and November 2010. The tournament was the second time the Four Nations had been held, following on from the 2009 edition held in England and France.... |
|
| 9 | 21 October 2011 | Parc des Sports Parc des Sports (Avignon) Parc des Sports is a multi-purpose stadium in Avignon, France. It is currently used mostly for football matches and hosts the home matches of Ligue 2 club, AC Arles-Avignon. The capacity of the stadium is 17,518 spectators.-External links:*... , Avignon Avignon Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the... , France |
18–32 | Win | Friendly | |
| 10 | 29 October 2011 | Leigh Sports Village, Leigh, England | 42–4 | Win | 2011 Four Nations 2011 Rugby League Four Nations The 2011 Rugby League Four Nations tournament was the third staging of the Rugby League Four Nations tournament and was played in England and Wales during October and November of 2011... |
|
| 11 | 5 November 2011 | Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007... , London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , England |
20–36 | Loss | 2011 Four Nations]] | |
| 12 | 12 November 2011 | KC Stadium KC Stadium The KC Stadium, often shortened to the KC, is a multi-purpose facility in the city of Kingston upon Hull , England. Conceived as early as the late 1990s, it was completed in 2002 at a cost of approximately £44 million. It is named after the stadium's sponsors, telecommunications provider KC,... , Hull Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of... , England |
28–6 | Win | 2011 Four Nations]] | |
| 13 | 19 November 2011 | Elland Road, Leeds, England | 8–30 | Loss | 2011 Four Nations]] |
International tries
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 October 2009 | Brewery Field Brewery Field Brewery Field is a 8,000 capacity sports stadium in Bridgend, Wales 1,100 of which is seated capacity... , Bridgend Bridgend Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town... , Wales |
12–48 | Win | Friendly | |
| 2 | ||||||
| 3 | ||||||
| 4 | 12 June 2010 | Leigh Sports Village Leigh Sports Village Leigh Sports Village is an £50 million multi-use sports, retail and housing development in Leigh, Greater Manchester, England. Leigh Sports Village plays host to three of the towns sporting clubs. Amateur rugby league club, Leigh East and amateur athletics club, Leigh Harriers occupy dedicated... , Leigh Leigh, Greater Manchester Leigh is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Wigan, and west of Manchester. Leigh is situated on low lying land to the north west of Chat Moss.... , England |
60–6 | Win | Friendly | |
| 5 | ||||||
| 6 | ||||||
| 7 | ||||||
| 8 | 29 October 2011 | Leigh Sports Village, Leigh, England | 42–4 | Win | 2011 Four Nations 2011 Rugby League Four Nations The 2011 Rugby League Four Nations tournament was the third staging of the Rugby League Four Nations tournament and was played in England and Wales during October and November of 2011... |
|
| 9 | ||||||
| 10 | ||||||
| 11 |
Awards and achievements
Honours
Super LeagueSuper League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
: 1
-
- 2010Super League XVThe 2010 Super League season was the fifteenth season of rugby league football since the Super League format was introduced in 1996. Fourteen teams competed for the League Leader's Shield over 27 rounds . All clubs also participated in the 2010 Challenge Cup tournament...
- 2010
Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
: 1
-
- 20112011 Challenge CupThe 2011 Challenge Cup was a rugby league football tournament which began its preliminary stages in January 2011...
- 2011
External links
- Sam Tomkins at the Wigan WarriorsWigan WarriorsWigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
official website - Sam Tomkins career stats on the www.cherryandwhite.co.uk fansite
- Sam Tomkins at the WiganWarriorsFans.com fansite