We will work nine to five for title
INAUGURAL WORLD CUP 9s IS SERIOUS BUSINESS FOR ENGLAND’S STAR TOMKINS
SAM TOMKINS would want to win for England if he was playing tiddlywinks – so he only has one
goal at the inaugural World Cup 9s
this weekend.
Catalans full-back Tomkins is the most experienced nines player in Wayne Bennett’s squad, having twice played in the format during his time with the New Zealand Warriors.
Only Tom Burgess, below, Blake Austin and Jermaine McGillvary have previously played nines – but Tomkins insists that will not stop England wanting to lift the trophy in Sydney.
He said: “If it was England tiddlywinks we’d still want to win it. It’s important to represent the badge in whatever you’re doing.
“We’ll be as serious as we need to be to try and get the win. To be the first team to win it would be really good – you want to win whatever the circumstances everything Tomkins not we has to can.” simply warned and we’ll expect his teammates do an exhibition of pacy backs throwing the ball around.
He said: “There’s not as much space as you think. The first time we played nines we thought it was going to be a lot like [rugby union] sevens, but it became apparent pretty quick that you can’t just have fast guys, you’ve got to have some probably we’ve some need to big picked. pretty do bodies reflected a lot big You’ve of in work. middles. there in got the who to squad That’s have will makes “Agile or forwards breaks it. are You don’t what want anybody too big that can’t get through a lot of work because it is very physically demanding for the short stint that you’re on. “Looking at our squad, we’ve got plenty of finishers and plenty of big bodies who can put a dint in a team and still carry on.” Tomkins also believes the shortened format can follow Twenty20 cricket’s lead in broadening rugby league’s appeal. He said: “It’s brilliant, something a little bit different. “You see some great tries and it’s brilliant for agile forwards and quick backs to really showcase what they can do. “You still get the big collisions but you don’t get as much wrestle because you don’t want to commit too many people to a tackle. “Whereas in 13-a-side you’re happy to put three or four men in to slow it down, you don’t have that luxury in nines because that’s half your team. “It usually takes a game to get to grips with it, but I’m sure we’ll go OK.”