I'm sure others noticed when the players were in a circle after his try he was the one doing all the talking. He is a natural leader with his words, example and his organisation.

With Bailey leaving I think he could well be added to the leadership team like Joel was.

I have no doubt that I will be telling stories about this lad to my kids when I'm older.

He has gone from breaking into the first team to winning the YPOTY award to his first full-season and retaining his title and winning the League Leaders Shield and the Super League Grand Final in the process, what a year and a half he has had, he will only get better as well which is scary!

Obviously we can't have much say on this kind of thing with us being in that stands and not knowing what goes on at training and in the dressing room but I have seen enough on the pitch this season to suggest he is a natural leader of this Wigan team and surely we must be looking at him as future captain of this team.

Thoughts? Add him to the leadership team now and let him thrive on the pressure and learn from some top players along the way about leading the team..... or ..... carry on as he is and let him take it in 5-6 years time..... or maybe you think he is not captain material? Either way what a player! I hope and pray he stays with us!

He should be on the leadership team next year, IMO.

Just think how good he'd be if he hadn't "lost" 2008.

Was he injured in 2008 ?

No, he was Nobbied.

No, he just wasn't given a shot even though he was blatantly ready, can't remember who we kept using instead of him, was it Thomas Coyle?

Sam scored 5 tries and got MoM on debut, then dropped for the rest of the season.

Tim Smith or Thomas Coyle were both subsequently picked ahead of him on at least a dozen occasions.

Maguire's willingness to use young talent has been massively important for us this year. Apart from anything else, it shows that he's a man of his word and that, if they play well, they'll get more and more chances.

A guy sat next to me hit the nail on the head with just how good this kid is. "Sam Tomkins would walk into ANY NRL team, even at his age" A statement I fully agree with.

Sam Tomkins is becoming a once every 20 years type of player. A Shuan Edwards, Andy Greg of the modern era. I dont think its premature to compare him to those kind of players either. Its plain for all to see that he is something very very special and is only going to get better and better.

Sam is going to be a very special RL player, who will become an all time great imo.

He was doing some talking and will end up in the leadership group, but Locky & Fielden were both very vocal yesterday as well.

Just seen the said bit of the game, and I think he has gradually grew into that role as the season as gone on, and no surprise its since he has moved to FB and he needs to order his players round and tell them where he wants them in the line.

He has a very very bright future and I wouldnt swap him for anyone.

I thought in 2008 from what I'd seen of Sam and also heard that he was "something special" from people who watch the U20's regularly that for the 1st time since Sean Edwards left in 97 Wigan potentially had the naturally brilliant stand off and leader - a born winner. In many ways Wigan never replaced Edwards - hence, maybe, the 12 years of relative famine. ( I know we had some success in 2002 and reached a few other finals and Adrian Lam was a class act).

We'll never know now how Sam would have fared in the SL if he hadn't been dropped/nobled after scoring 5 tries in the CC. Maybe he would have been smashed and had his confidence dented.

The future is so bright and we are all so full of confidence. Will Sam continue as FB, how will Finch fit in, wiil Deacon feature as a half next year, and will TL be hooker or scrum half? And that's before we see Joe Mellor who is also potentially top-notch from what I've heard. So many options. The future is Cherry and White!