Sam Tomkins drops strong Wigan hint

Sam Tomkins has unintentionally dropped a strong hint that he will be playing for Wigan again in 2016, when speaking to New Zealand radio.

The NZ Warriors full-back is leaving the club at the end of the season to return to the UK, and it has been widely supposed that Wigan would be his destination.

While nothing has been officially confirmed yet, Tomkins, when speaking to Tony Veitch on Newstalk ZB, did reveal that he would be heading back to his former club.

“I won’t be pulling a Wigan jersey on ‘til February next year,” he said.

Meanwhile, Tomkins also responded to allegations that he was giving up his time in the NRL a little too easily, having decided to return home a year before his contract expired.

“I wouldn’t class myself as a quitter, either, to be honest,” he said.

“When this came about, people are going to come and say things like, ‘You’re a quitter, and you’ve left when you shouldn’t.’

“But the basic of it is that I’m 12,000 miles away from all my family and friends.

“I’m enjoying my time here, but I decided that if there was a chance for me to be back in England next year to be back in England, then it would be good for me.

“But it was never a case of me going to the coaching staff and saying that I need to leave, or anything like that.

“Basically, I said that two years away from home would be enough for me, if there was an opportunity.

“The club said, ‘If we can find a replacement, then we’ll release you, if not, the answer will be no.’

“I said I was fine with that, and it was left at that until I got the news that they’d managed to get Roger Tuivasa Sheck.”

The England full-back also responded to criticism that implied his form had never hit real heights because he was never really that committed to the New Zealand Warriors cause.

“My heart has been in it from day one,” he insisted.

“People aren’t going to believe that, but that’s not what worries me. I give 100 per cent every time I’m on the field.

“The New Zealand Warriors are a team I’m passionate about.

“You can’t be in this sort of environment and not be passionate about winning, when you’re around friends all day, who are all fighting for the same cause.

“That’s not an issue for me at all.

“Everyone’s got their opinion, and they’re entitled to it, but I know my reasons, and I’ve spoke to all the boys about it, and they’re very understanding.

“I didn’t want to get to the back end of this year, then say, ‘Look, I don’t really want to be here next year if I can help it.’

“Because that puts the club in a difficult situation. I knew that if I could do it now then it would be easier for everyone.”

Some observers have opined that Tomkins has been a disappointment in terms of overall contribution to the Warriors during his time in Auckland.

The player himself feels that he has done the job for the team which he set out to do.

“It was exactly what I’d thought it would be, which is a tough challenge,” he said of the NRL.

“It was never going to be easy, and it’s not been.

“I haven’t scored a thousand tries and made a thousand tackle breaks, but I feel like I’ve contributed well to the team.

“I don’t play this game to impress critics or fans, I want to do my job for the team.

“Between my team-mates and coaches, they’ve been happy with how I’ve gone, and I’m pretty happy myself.”