James Roby and the Deliverance extra from Wigan, Tomkins, are the best British players in Super League by some distance. They are so much better than their peers that it's like a high school kid going and playing in a primary school league and enjoying being the star. At Saints no one mentions Roby in the 'who played well this week' threads, it's assumed Roby was the best player by a distance, with his robotic 210m and 40 tackles every game. I'll bet it's the same on the Pietaliban forum about Sam, despite the recent controversy about him refusing to pass to his team mates because they aren't good enough for him to pass to.

Both have also recently signed big deals to stay in Super League for the forseeable future when really, IMO, the NRL should be the challenge they are aiming up to.

Although it's going to hurt my own side in SL, I can't wait to see how the big red machine goes in the NRL. I'd love to watch how Roby and Sam go at that level as well. It would be fun to see Sam's 18 foot sidestep slice an NRL side open wouldn't it?

For the good of SL, Hopefully we can keep these two well away from the NRL

If these two go it will confirm my belief that we are a second tier league, a bit like what the dutch or scottish league has become in football

Not sure Tomkins would make it in the NRL to be honest, he's shown nothing for England that suggests to me he'd be nothing more than average to be honest, but who knows.

Can't see Roby going to the NRL.

He has recently just signed a new deal with Saints.

Tomkins on the other hand may still go to the NRL,even though he has signed a new deal recently he is still pretty young so who knows.

Both players have the abilty to do very well in the NRL. Sam publically said that he was homesick after 6 weeks in Oz for the 4 nations so i can't see him going anytime soon. If Roby does go it probably needs to be in the next year or 2.

To be fair he seemed to suffer from the typical English International "4 overs" syndrome:

Overhyped, overrated, overawed, overhere.

But he still has time on his side. Too many English players have found the step up from outstanding club player to outstanding international a difficult one.

I think both would be great in the NRL, but I think most players in the top 5 teams in SL would. IMO there ain't much of a gap between our top 5 and the NRL.

The thing with sam in last years four nations was nothing to do with being overhyped. He was being played at full back and had played there for little over 6 months. To be expected to stand out after this long in a position would take some doing especially against the aussie kick chase and how poor that england team was.

This year we have seen sam fit into the full back role more comfortably, with him still learning the role week by week. I think with Brough and Widdop in the halves he will be able to chime into the line when he pleases, will definately benefit Sam having two good halves with him and especially Brough who will take quite alot of responsibility with kicking duties onto his shoulders.

I hope you're right - would love to see him carving the Aussies up. However, he will need to do what both Aus and NZ do and raise his game beyond club level. Something many English players seem unable to do.

Yes, he's rubbish isn't he. He can't run, pass, sidestep, tackle, kick, dummy and no NRL side would even have him sweeping the dressing room and no other SL side would even have him as a bucket man. Even the rahrahs, after they'd queued up to offer him untold riches, which he declined to stay loyal to Wigan, are really glad they didn't sign him. He's definitely rubbish.

By the way, you aren't related to Gerald Ratner are you ??

If anyone's

it's you. There was nothing wrong with what he said and you've just got sand in your gash becuase he is being cautious when rating Sam Tomkins' potential as a world class player, and given the fact that not many English backs (especially stand offs, and full backs) have been world class in the last 30-40 years seems about right to me.

Well done for adding absolutely nothing to the debate.

Perhaps you should try reading what posters actually say, here's a helping hand - my key sentence was:

"Too many English players have found the step up from outstanding club player to outstanding international a difficult one."

Maybe you should try to wind your neck in past those rather large chips.