Sam Tomkins says he is a 100/1 shot to ever play for England again but has backed Shaun Wane’s side to thrive in this Autumn’s series against Tonga.
As Super League clubs prepare for the final two rounds of the regular season, Wane and England took centre stage this week to launch their eagerly-anticipated forthcoming series against Kristian Woolf’s dangerous squad.
Amongst the headlines to emerge from Wane’s press briefing were the recruitment of the highly-rated Lee Briers as assistant coach and confirmation that England legends Sam Burgess and Tomkins would be in camp for the three games in October and November.
Briers enjoyed a highly successful season with Wigan last year before relocating to Australia where he continues to draw praise for his impact at NRL Grand Final hopefuls Brisbane Broncos. Burgess will move the other way at the end of this year when he heads back to the UK to take his first head coach role with Warrington. He will gain valuable experience from his time with England in the interim.
As for Tomkins, he retires as a player next month, and although insisting he will always be available for his country, Wane indicated this week that Tomkins is more likely to be called upon to help England off the pitch rather than on it.
“I’d be about 100/1 to get picked in the squad as a player now, but I’m more than happy to help in any other way if Shaun wants me to,” Tomkins told The Sportsman, after Wane revealed the Catalans full-back would be welcome in England camp any time.
“Shaun clearly has good staff, so rugby-wise the players will be well prepared. They stay in nice hotels with good buffets so I’m happy to go in just for some free food!”
The Briers move is a masterstroke, according to Tomkins, who believes the attacking guile of the Warrington legend will give England a fresh look and exciting advantage against a Tonga side tipped by many to give Wane’s men a real scare in their first series since last year’s World Cup.
“Bringing in Briers is a really good attacking move,” said Tomkins.
“Wane is very good at speaking to others and welcoming other ideas. Briers was well-regarded at Wigan and has gained more experience in the NRL, so to have diverse minds in the team is important. He is clearly a good coach, likes exciting rugby and will work well with Shaun who has very strong values and would not bring anyone in who would not buy into what he is doing.”
Burgess meanwhile will also be around the camp as he prepares for a first ever crack at coaching, when he joins Warrington Wolves for next season, in what looks a huge gamble.
“Anyone involved in rugby league knows Sam Burgess and what he has done in the game and there’s not many like him,” said Tomkins,
“Warrington have tried different options as coach so this is something a bit different. They had a really well thought of Australian in Steve Price who delivered a Challenge Cup but it’s a Grand Final they need. He didn’t change the club at all, so then they went for an experienced English coach in Daryl Powell and that was a disaster.
“Burgess is clearly a different path, a big name who is a very good leader, somebody who can walk into a dressing room and have the respect of every player. He will be able to implement change.”
Warrington lost a golden point thriller at Salford on Sunday as the top six race intensified in the Betfred Super League.
Having topped the table at Easter the Wolves are now only in the playoff places on points difference, with Salford having two rounds to catch either them or Hull KR two points above. As fate would have it, KR host Salford this Saturday in a game of enormous significance, especially with Warrington hosting champions St Helens the night before. A Saints win therefore would give the Red Devils the chance to nudge Warrington out of the six, something that appeared unthinkable just a few months ago.
Rovers, Salford and Warrington are three thrilling attacking sides who can all be dangerous in the playoffs if they can just scrape in. Grand Finals are so often reached by those who qualify lowest, but as it stands three into two does not go.
Completely out of the picture are last season’s Grand Finalists Leeds whose fans are furious at an appalling season since their trip to Old Trafford eleven months ago.
A 50-0 home defeat to Wigan at the weekend produced one of the most toxic atmospheres I can remember at Headingley since their flirtation with relegation in 2016. There seems little confidence in the players, coach, player retention or recruitment, and for this fan who experienced the glory years of Sinfield, Peacock, Burrow and McGuire it is incredibly sad to see the current discord. And incredibly difficult to see how it is fixed.
This weekend will see Wakefield’s relegation confirmed unless they win at Leigh and Castleford lost at Wigan.
The two favourites to replace Wakefield from the Betfred Championship meet in the south of France as leaders Featherstone travel to Toulouse. This will be fascinating to see where the balance of power lies ahead of the playoffs, with Rovers highly-fancied to gain promotion for the first time while at the same item having lost to Toulouse already this year, and in the final two years ago.
Fev remain the favourites with Betfred to go up, yet there are many who still think they could come unstuck in the playoffs, where in all likelihood they will need to beat Toulouse at home to gain promotion to Super League for the first time ever.
And the League One drama continues live on The Sportsman this Sunday as Hunslet host North Wales for a place in the Grand Final.
Salford boss Paul Rowley will join me for commentary of that one, and if there is half the drama of last week’s North Wales win at Oldham then you will not want to miss it.
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject To Change
