SAM TOMKINS has certainly seen the rugby league world turn full circle since he was last in a Challenge Cup final.
Four years ago Tomkins was being hailed as the most precocious young talent – occasionally with an attitude to match – in the game.
Yet in the ensuing years he has grown up quickly – in every respect. Given what the Wigan golden boy has gone through, he had no choice.
For since the Warriors’ last appearance at the national stadium, Tomkins has become rugby league’s most expensive ever player at £700,000, become a father twice over, had a season Down Under in the toughest league in the world, and fought back from two massive injuries.
No wonder he reckons the Tomkins that walks out of the tunnel against Hull on Saturday is a far more grounded and grown up person than the one which did so in 2013. In every respect.
Mind you, he had to as well, given what happened on his other Wembley appearance for the Warriors, six years ago.
That victory over Leeds also saw him cop a subsequent £1,000 fine off the Rugby Football League, for flicking a V sign at Rhinos fans who gave him the bird all afternoon.
Tomkins believes it was the best money he’s spent – and another step down the path to becoming the mature professional which carries Wigan hopes this time.
He admitted: “I’ve grown up a bit since 2013. I matured when I went to New Zealand, being a long way from home and my friends.
“Becoming a dad has been the best thing possible, you have to become a father figure and not just concentrate on yourself.
“When I wake up in the morning, there are two other people to check on before I can do anything I want.
“And I think I’m more mature as a player now. I probably won’t be sticking my fingers up at Hull fans this time around like I did v Leeds in 2011, I think I’ve grown out of that now.
“I can handle criticism and pressure a bit better. I’m not a young kid on the block now.
“But that thing against Leeds, it was the best money I’ve ever spent! I wouldn’t take it back but I learned from it. Obviously, I wouldn’t do it again.
“However, we’re a club that demands success and Wigan is synonymous with the Challenge Cup. A lot of fans remember it was just Wigan’s cup for a long time – they want that again.”
Tomkins says a big part of his new mindset is partner and mother to sons Rex and Caine, Charlotte White.
Her approach contrasts to many in Wigan, where players are at the centre of many rumours.
As soon as work is done, rugby is pretty much a no-no in his household – which helped when he was the centre of talk about how he did the broken foot that kept him out for nine months after a similar length of time out with a knee ligament problem.
However, you will not see him dancing on a table.
Tomkins, who admits he has paid hundreds of pounds for big day outfits for Charlotte and mother Angela, added: “Someone once said I did my foot when I was dancing on a table in a nightclub and fell off. If I believed everything I’ve read on social media, I’d be retired now, I’d have given up!
“I get abuse on social media every day but it doesn’t affect me. You’ve got to realise a lot of the people who’ll criticise you on social media are the same people who’ll ask you for a picture if you walk past them in the street.
“At home there’s no rule, it’s just Charlotte just has no interest in rugby league. We have our lives outside of rugby and when I get home, I don’t talk about it too much.
“But Rex is getting to know a bit about it now, recognising me on the field or on the TV, he’s always shouting, ‘Rugby ball, kick ball, pass ball dad.’
“We’ve another son too, so I reckon the house will be taken over by rugby eventually, but until they grasp it, there’s not much at all.
“And if one of them said, ‘Dad, I quite fancy being a rugby player,’ I’d say, ‘Go for it.’ The things rugby league has given me, I wouldn’t have dreamed of.
“Being injured is tough mentally, whether that’s for two weeks, two months or 12 months. You go through tough times but it’s about looking at the bigger picture and knowing that once you do get back, you’ll be back playing.
“Now I don’t really have a day off any more. When the team is off, I’ll often come in and do something extra, whether it be a bit more recovery or a bit more treatment.
“And the rugby is the easy bit, dealing with two kids is hard!”
Wigan, Tomkins and boss Shaun Wane have a simple aim on Saturday – win.
The 28-year-old knows all too well what it is like to succeed at Wembley, as he did in 2013 against a backdrop of talks over a move to Gold Coast Titans and not New Zealand Warriors, who he eventually joined.
But he also knows what it is like to lose after the heartbreaking 2013 World Cup semi-final defeat to New Zealand, when Shaun Johnson danced through in the dying seconds.
Speaking in association with 188Bet, Tomkins, who says he was closest to joining the Titans at the time of the 2013 final, which Wigan won 16-0, admitted: “It still bugs me now, that’s a loss I don’t think I’ll ever get over.
“And the fact it was at Wembley makes it worse. As rugby players, you want to play on the big stage – talking of playing at Wembley gives me goosebumps now.
“But it’s the best place to win. Doing a lap of honour at one of the most famous stadiums in the world is awesome – and both kids will be there.
“So it’ll be good to hopefully get a win and have hold of them on that pitch and they’d be able to look at the pictures for years to come.”
Challenge Cup final betting odds: Wigan 4/5, Hull Evs. See www.188bet.co.uk for full match betting
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