SmokeyTA wrote:
Because it is quite clearly a relative measure. Unless wane was arguing precious little sammy needed special treatment from referees
I don't think he is asking for special treatment. Just fair treatment, there are people in this thread saying that it's right he should be targeted more due to the threat. Targeted for fair tackles, yes. For foul play, no. Unfortunately the more recent tactic that has been played against Wigan seems to be more on the side of foul play than fair play.
Quotes like this on the Wigan board highlight some fans views:
TheAbbot wrote:
I remember all the times he held players down and won penalties for it. What goes around......... I hope one day he toddles off to play Union, but not until someone breaks a part of his face.
or the ever anti-Wigan "Saddo"
Saddened! wrote:
It's an utterly bizarre statement to come out with and you have to wonder about his suitability to be a Super League coach when he's basically a thug himself.
Wigan are the most aggressive team in Super League and by far the most likely to commit serious foul play, particularly with the attacking of the standing legs they do and are coached to do.
Tomkins doesn't come in for special attention IMO, I can't think of a bad shot on him since he was KO'd by Raynor the other year. For a coach of a side containing Gareth Hock to suggest his side are being bullied is absolutely ridiculous.
or
Judder Man wrote:
Wasn,t Mr Wane on wigans staff roll when Terry Newton targeted and smashed Sean Longs jaw to pieces. Perhaps Mr Wane didn,t think much about that one and turned the other cheek so to speak.
Coming from a full back position Tomkins will always be targeted like any other player in that position who is an attacking threat.
So it's OK to commit foul play on Tomkins and Wigan are thugs.... Except if people like Saddo looked at Wigan's games, there are very few if any Standing Leg tackles (when was the last disciplinary for this?). Judder is making a connection to Wane being somewhere in the Wigan payroll to a tackle that probably wouldn't have caused much damage but for Long's own player running into the back of him at the same time as Newton make contact and then that there's some kind of behaviour link between Wane -> Newton -> Tomkins OK to target?
I'm surprised at the level of anti-Tomkins/Wigan drivel spouted as a result of this. If any coach is making this kind of comment just maybe it's worth a little look rather than rabid drivel?
Burrow get's caught a fair few high, he is small and fast so wrong foots players often. Refs haven't been slow to blow the whistle and I think that he suffer from foul (mostly accidental) play and should be protected. Roby I could argue falls in a similar small stature (but not as small), but doesn't step as much or have the same turn of pace, oddly he doesn't seem to get the same volume of penalties against him.
Sam at 5ft 11in, isn't small. However he seems to get at least 2 or 3 high tackles a game, and yet players like Finch who probably get tackled more don't get the same quantity of high tackles relative to carries. Do other full backs have the same foul to carry ratio I wonder? What the average and does Sam stand out as an exception, if so then just maybe Wane as a point.