Joel Tomkins slammed by former code

Joel Tomkins has been slammed by a rugby union site and included in the ‘Worst Ever: Fans pick an XV of the Biggest Flops to Have Played for England’ – quite an honour, eh?

The website hasn’t held back in their opinion of Tomkins despite him winning Grand Finals and a Challenge Cup in Super League.

Ruck.co.uk, as the site is known as, referenced the former Wigan Warriors, Hull KR and Catalans Dragons, as ‘completely out of his depth’ in his three-and-a-half seasons at Saracens RU – though he can’t have been that bad if he actually earned three England caps.

The site claimed: “He began his League career with Wigan in 2005 and outside of a short stint with the Widnes Vikings in 2007, played with the Warriors until moving to Saracens in 2011.

“While Tomkins initially struggled to adapt to union, his form during the beginning of the 2013/14 season saw him earn an England cap against Australia in November 2013.

“Although he went on to make two further international appearances, he looked completely out of his depth and returned to league soon after.”

Return to league he did midway through the 2014 Super League season with Wigan, winning a Grand Final in 2016 under Shaun Wane.

Spells at Hull KR and Catalans followed before Tomkins was set to play for Leigh Centurions in 2022, only to hang up his boots.