Tomkins urges England to be wary of Lolohea
England full-back Sam Tomkins thinks that the absence of Shaun Johnson for New Zealand will be compensated for by the presence of Tui Lolohea in the Kiwis’ squad.
Lolohea has already played for Tonga in 2015, but has been included in the Kiwi squad due to the absence of Johnson and other pivot players.
Tomkins expects his erstwhile club-mate to shine on the international stage.
“They’re missing some talent, but we’re under no illusions,” he said.
“If you look at the quality of their squad it’s very strong.
“They’ve got world-class players in pretty much every position.
“In the half-backs, they’re missing their two key man, more obvious is Shaun Johnson.
“It’s a shame he can’t be here, they’ll probably miss him quite a lot.
“But there’s a young lad called Tui Lolohea, who I know really well, who could be the next Shaun Johnson.
“He’s young but he’s unbelievably naturally talented.
“So I think he’s got a chance to stamp his mark on the international game.”
Tomkins, who is returning to Wigan in 2016 after two years with the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL, is looking forward to the three-match Test series, which gets underway in Hull on Sunday.
“It’s going to be a great competition,” he said.
“Three games against the Kiwis, a team who are branded as number one in the world, and for good reason at the moment.
“So I’m really looking forward to it.
“I’ve played against all the blokes we’ll be up against this year.
“And I’ve played with a few, so hopefully I’ll have a bit of an insight into how they’ll play.
“But the bottom line is that they’re a quality side, and they’ve got a lot of good players.”
The England full-back is also pleased that there is plenty of competition for places in coach Steve McNamara’s England squad.
“We’ve got competition across a lot of places,” he said.
“Look at the four half-backs we’ve got in the squad – all could deservedly put their hand up and play for England this year.
“Steve’s got some tough decisions to make, but that’s why he’s the coach.”