Quite simply, he chose the wrong team for him to be seen as successful. I'm sure the money he got will make up for it though.

Can't wait to see him back. Still a great player - which is all you need really to cut it in Super League.

I'm sure Sam will go just fine for you guys, his time in the NRL can't be judged an unsurpassed success but the worst ever signing tag is BS. Therefore I don't understand why you have to run down the current M.O.S. to reassure yourselves that your prodigal, is a good signing for Wigan. You got your boy back be happy.

They have been constantly compared all season long by the media and by fans of both clubs. Where have you been?

I've been watching the treble winners and the best full back in Super League, thanks for asking . I didn't say compare I asked why you have to run down the current MOS to make yourselves feel better about the return of your prodigal son. HTH

We weren't running him down, merely using the stats to show Sam wasn't as poor as has been stated.

tomkins is a better stand off than a full back.

Again, not sure what Hardaker has to do with Tomkins being rated the wost NRL signing, but hey.... If you know fullback play is about more than tries and try assists, why only use those stats to compare 2 fullbacks? Surely you want the full comparison to give a better overall picture?



Absolutely not - though I am a Leeds fan; I'm an RL fan first and foremost and want to see the best players playing to the best of their ability - the better the players are individually, the better the standard of the comp, the better the entertainment.... Plus it can only be good for our chances internationally... That's where you lot go wrong sometimes - people cant have an opinion without a cry of club bias - I'm giving an impartial view on how I thought his NRL stint went... For what its worth, I expected he'd do sightly better (though had a feeling he'd struggle), but would have loved him to rip it up - as I do all Englishmen that head to the NRL.

That's the bottom line, he joined the wrong club. When Maguire moved Sam to FB he didn't just shove him there and expect him to work miracles. The whole attacking structures were adapted so ST got his hands on the ball as often as possible and in as much time and space as possible, and the results were devastating.

At NZW he touched the ball a lot less than he ever did at Wigan, and Johnson was utilised as the main running threat with Tomkins mostly used as a wide playmaker. It was effective, particularly in his first season, but they were nowhere near getting the best out of him. There were so many instances where NZW would get an attacking set near the opposition line and ST wouldn't touch the ball the whole set, that would never have happened at Wigan. I've moaned about similar issues with how he's used for England.

It's a bit of a side issue, but I don't think the NRL ever saw the best out of his personality as well as his playing ability. Had he joined a Sydney-based team he would have probably been on the Footy Show and other similar programmes fairly regularly, and he'd have developed a similar profile to what Sam Burgess did.

There's a decent number of opposition fans, in both hemispheres, who wanted him to fail before he ever got on the plane, and him cutting his contract short to come back is perfect ammunition for those people to say he was a failure. I think that's a very blinkered view. He definitely wasn't value for money, I'll agree with that, but nowhere near the worst signing of the year, let alone in NRL history! As others have said, if he'd have gone there, played his best rugby and loved it, he wouldn't be coming back, and I've no doubt he will carry on where he left off in 2013.

That seems like a fair and balanced view - though I would maybe question who was a worse buy in the last couple of years - particularly if you take value for money into account...

I also hope he picks up his 2013 form again: He ws awesome in attack; and fair play to Wigan, they built their structure to suit him (Something Leeds could still do better with Watkins IMO). It is possible though that injuries may have robbed hin of a yard of pace and that the 2013 version no longer exists; it will be good to see how he goes.

Rogues Gallery wrote:In his first season he scored 13 tries and had 12 try assists to his name from 26 games. Hardaker this year scored 10 tries and 6 try assists from 25 games http://www.totalfootystats.com.au/nrl-p ... iYOFX6rSUk http://www.superleague.co.uk/matchday/player/10800 What has Hardaker's stats got to do with Sam Tomkins as they play in 2 different competitions and hemisphere's? Oh well if you want to compare stats between the two to see who's the best, then how about these startling stats Rogues Sam's Trophies in the last 2 seasons = 0 Zak's trophies in the last 2 seasons = 4 plus a Man of Steel award (Sam never even got short-listed in the M.O.S either) Zak by a mile then Rogues i'm afraid

Rogues Gallery wrote:In his first season he scored 13 tries and had 12 try assists to his name from 26 games. Hardaker this year scored 10 tries and 6 try assists from 25 games http://www.totalfootystats.com.au/nrl-p ... iYOFX6rSUk http://www.superleague.co.uk/matchday/player/10800 What has Hardaker's stats got to do with Sam Tomkins as they play in 2 different competitions and hemisphere's? Oh well if you want to compare stats between the two to see who's the best, then how about these startling stats Rogues Sam's Trophies in the last 2 seasons = 0 Zak's trophies in the last 2 seasons = 4 plus a Man of Steel award (Sam never even got short-listed in the M.O.S either) Zak by a mile then Rogues i'm afraid