1. Sam Tomkins was born on 23 March 1989 and is a professional rugby league analyst for Sky Sports and professional player, after coming out of retirement to finish the 2024 season with Catalans Dragons in the Super League, following the end of 2023 season.
Sam Tomkins is the two time Man of Steel, earning the title in 2012 and 2021.
Sam Tomkins won three Super League Grand Finals with the Wigan Warriors in 2010,2013, and 2018, as well as two Challenge Cup finals in 2011 and 2013.
Sam Tomkins was born on 23 March 1989 in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England.
Sam Tomkins was offered a one-year extension to his own contract, which would keep him at the club until the end of the 2010 season with another year optional.
Sam Tomkins played out the rest of the 2008 season in the reserves, some of his highlights including a hat-trick against Castleford, and another five-try performance against Harlequins RL.
In 2009 Sam Tomkins was awarded the Albert Goldthorpe Rookie of the Year Medal.
Sam Tomkins featured in the club's two other fixtures during the pre-season, firstly against Huddersfield, and then against Leigh.
Sam Tomkins was brought into the squad and came off the bench against Harlequins for his league debut during their fourth match of the season.
Sam Tomkins made a break early in the second half which allowed George Carmont to claim the equalising try.
Sam Tomkins took Tim Smith's starting place in the team for their next match against Bradford Bulls.
Sam Tomkins scored in a fourth round cup match against Barrow.
However Sam Tomkins came on as a substitute to score his second brace of the season.
Sam Tomkins scored the final try of the match in Wigan's fifth round cup win over Wakefield Trinity, and although he was found guilty on a charge of kicking out in the tackle against another player, he escaped a match ban.
Sam Tomkins was named in a train-on squad for England's friendly test match against France, although he did not play.
Sam Tomkins was dropped in round 15 for Wigan's match against Salford, but returned off the bench and scored against Hull Kingston Rovers in round 18.
Sam Tomkins played every game for Wigan thereafter, except for the final regular round fixture of the season against Huddersfield, until the team were knocked out of the Super League play-offs by St Helens.
Sam Tomkins would go on to play for England during the 2009 Four Nations.
Sam Tomkins ended the domestic season with twenty-seven first-grade appearances, twenty-three of which in the league, as well as fifteen tries.
In doing this, Sam Tomkins had more than doubled the estimation of ten league games made by Wane during the previous season.
Sam Tomkins was given a five-year contract from the club.
Sam Tomkins started in three cup matches, scoring hat-tricks against the Sheffield Eagles and Widnes.
Sam Tomkins featured in all of Wigan's fixtures of 2010's Super League XV regular season, with the team finishing top of the league table and winning the League Leader's Shield.
Sam Tomkins was played at scrum-half for Wigan's round 12 fixture against Harlequins with Sean O'Loughlin covering his position at stand-off instead.
In round 19, again against Harlequins, Sam Tomkins marked his first league appearance as a fullback with the game's first score and a try-saving tackle on Lamont Bryan.
Over 34 total appearances, Sam Tomkins improved on his 2009 record with 21 tries and four goals.
Sam Tomkins scored a try in the 2010 Super League Grand Final victory over St Helens at Old Trafford.
At 2010's Super League XV awards evening, where his Wigan teammate Pat Richards was voted by his fellow Super League players as Man of Steel for having the biggest impact on the season, Sam Tomkins retained his Young Player of the Year title.
Sam Tomkins received 2010's Albert Goldthorpe Medal for 'best and fairest' player of the season.
Sam Tomkins was named Rookie of the Year by the Rugby League International Federation during the 2010 Four Nations, in which he played for England.
The previous season's transition to fullback was made permanent by the club when Sam Tomkins inherited the number 1 jersey from Cameron Phelps, whose 2010 season was blighted by injury and was not offered a new contract.
Sam Tomkins received a match ban in round 6, for joining a fight in the previous match against Hull, meaning that for the first time since the final regular round fixture against Huddersfield in 2009, he missed a first-grade match.
Sam Tomkins's scoring record in 2011 started in the opening round against St Helens in which he kicked a goal but missed a drop goal which would have won the game for Wigan.
Sam Tomkins's first try came during Wigan's next game at Bradford.
Sam Tomkins scored his second hat-trick of the season against Huddersfield, taking his career total to six.
Sam Tomkins followed this up a week later with a try-scoring man of the match performance against St Helens as Wigan won their first cup semi-final since 2004.
Wigan returned to league action with a win at home to Salford, with Sam Tomkins scoring four tries.
Sam Tomkins scored another brace against Bradford in Wigan's last match before the Challenge Cup final.
Sam Tomkins scored 36 tries in 30 games for Wigan in 2012.
On 23 June 2013, the Sydney Morning Herald published news of Sam Tomkins impending departure from Wigan to join the New Zealand Warriors of Australia's NRL competition.
On 24 September 2013, it was confirmed that Sam Tomkins would join the Warriors on a three-year deal starting in 2014, signed for a world record fee.
Sam Tomkins played in the 2013 Challenge Cup Final victory over Hull FC at Wembley Stadium.
Sam Tomkins played in the 2013 Super League Grand Final victory over the Warrington Wolves at Old Trafford.
Sam Tomkins scored two tries, one of which was directly from the lock position after a scrum win against the feed.
Sam Tomkins set up a brilliant try for captain Simon Mannering.
The Warriors announced that Sam Tomkins would leave the club at the end of 2015 due to injury and suffering from homesickness.
Sam Tomkins underwent surgery on a posterior cruciate ligament injury in November 2015 ruling him out for the start of the 2016 Super League season, however due to complications he did not appear for Wigan until 13 May at home against Hull FC.
Sam Tomkins went on to make 16 appearances scoring 7 tries before undergoing more knee surgery meaning he missed the start of the 2017 season.
Sam Tomkins did not play for Wigan until the Challenge Cup quarter final against the Warrington Wolves where it was his drop goal that won the tie for Wigan.
Sam Tomkins quickly settled into the squad with two assists in his first two Super League games of the year before scoring a try against Catalans Dragons in Round 21.
Sam Tomkins continued his good form with tries against Leeds Rhinos and Huddersfield Giants.
Sam Tomkins played in the 2017 Challenge Cup Final defeat by Hull FC at Wembley Stadium.
Sam Tomkins played in the 2018 Super League Grand Final victory over the Warrington Wolves at Old Trafford.
On 5 October 2021, Sam Tomkins was awarded with the Man of Steel for his efforts with Catalans throughout the season.
On 9 October 2021, Sam Tomkins played for Catalans in their 2021 Super League Grand Final loss against St Helens.
Sam Tomkins played 21 games for Catalans in the 2022 Super League season including their elimination playoff loss to Leeds.
In March 2023, Sam Tomkins announced that he would be retiring at the end of the season, following issues with his knee after injuring it in 2022.
Sam Tomkins delayed his decision to retire in order to play in the 2021 World Cup.
On 14 October, Sam Tomkins played in Catalans 2023 Super League Grand Final loss against Wigan which was his final game as a player.
In July 2024, Sam Tomkins announced a return to Catalans Dragons, coming out of retirement until the end of the season to aid the club's push for play-offs and a place in the Grand Final following "confidence" in his knee again.
On his third game back against Huddersfield Giants, Sam Tomkins suffered a hamstring injury.
On 4 October, Sam Tomkins signed an extension for the 2025 season.
Sam Tomkins had scored five tries in five appearances of the season at the tome of the announcement.
Sam Tomkins, who was then playing at stand-off for Wigan, was included in a new-look squad which featured a quarter of its players aged 21 or below.
On 18 October 2009, having played less than thirty games for Wigan, Sam Tomkins made his international debut for Tony Smith's England team against Wales at Brewery Field in a warm-up match for the Four Nations tournament.
Sam Tomkins featured at full-back for the inaugural International Origin in 2011, which England lost thanks to Wigan teammate George Carmont's 79th minute try for the Exiles.
Sam Tomkins was booed by England supporters from opposing clubs within the Headingley crowd at Leeds, an incident which was criticised as "disgraceful" by Jamie Peacock, the England captain and Leeds forward, however Wigan head coach Michael Maguire claimed Sam Tomkins had not been affected by the abuse.
Sam Tomkins was forced to withdraw from the Test series against New Zealand in 2015 due to injury, and was not selected for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.
Sam Tomkins was recalled to the England squad in 2018.
Sam Tomkins was selected in England 9s squad for the 2019 Rugby League World Cup 9s.
Sam Tomkins was selected for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup, starting at fullback in four of England's five matches before their semi-final defeat against Samoa.
Sam Tomkins continued his broadcasting work during his 2024 playing return.
In September 2024, Sam Tomkins was appointed Team Manager of the England national rugby league team - a "behind-the-scenes administrative role".