Sam Tomkins 'a better player' as he prepares for Wigan return

Sam Tomkins aims to bring the lessons he learnt in the NRL back to the Super League as he looks ahead to his Wigan Warriors return in 2016, reports Sky Sports News HQ's Fraser Dainton.

It is a beautiful day in the Lancashire village of Parbold - surprisingly warm for the first day of October. It's as if Sam Tomkins has brought back a few rays of sunshine with him from New Zealand. 

He's re-acquainting himself with Wigan, and easing back in to life at home. We meet at his favourite cafe and sip coffee, as boats slowly glide past on the canal. You can tell he's glad to be back.

"It's great to see family and friends and catch up with people," said the 26-year-old. "In the last few months since knowing I'm coming back to Wigan, I've been getting really excited about coming home and sorting things out."

Tomkins spent two years in Auckland, having joined the New Zealand Warriors in a big money move. "When you sign, they tell you about this Warriors rollercoaster - and that's certainly what it was - massive highs, and lows to go along with it.

"But I thoroughly enjoyed it. New Zealand is a beautiful country, and to get the chance to live next to a beach where the sun shines for a lot of the year - for a lad from Wigan - it's pretty special. I will be going back there plenty, and maybe live there again at some point."

Unfortunately, the team itself wasn't as successful as Sam had hoped.

"We missed out on the play-offs two years on the trot, which wasn't in the plan!" he said.

"But I had a brilliant time. The top teams in Super League would fit in perfectly over there. The thing with the NRL is that you've got a consistent competition. There are teams down at the bottom that are always going to compete with the teams at the top, no matter what.

"I think that's what Super League misses sometimes. But I think the re-structuring means it's not quite going to be like that as much now - that's been proven this year, that it's a great formula. But the NRL is consistent, and you come up against some teams that are quality sides, and it's good to test yourself against people like that."

So having played against the best Rugby League has to offer, week after week, has it made him a better player? "I think so - I hope so! I've played against some really tough defences, and had to adapt on the run quite a lot. Hopefully, I can bring that back to Wigan and back to Super League, and be a bit more of a rounded player."

As you would expect, Tomkins has been keeping a close eye on the current Wigan side, and can't wait to get involved next season.

"Some of the youngsters are really exciting me, people like Joe Burgess, George Williams and Dom Manfredi," he added.

"Dom has been a bit in and out of the side because we've got two great wingers in Josh Chanley and Joe Burgess. It's a bit of a luxury to have three genuinely great players on the wing. But with Joe going to the Roosters, I think Dom will get his chance to cement a place in the side, and George could be a Wigan half-back for many years to come."

And while all the talk this week has been about another Rugby League star - Sam Burgess - Tomkins says he has no plans to switch codes in the near future, thanks largely to a single turn-out for the Barbarians back in 2011. "That probably wasn't a fair reflection of what Rugby Union is like. It was more of a party week, then chuck a jersey on at the weekend! I had no idea what I was doing.

"I was supposed to be playing full-back. In training, the coach Graham Henry kept saying I was out of position. He thought I'd played union before - I said no - this is literally my first ever game! That put me off, I think! If I did make the switch, I think I'd need more than three or four sessions in Hyde Park!"

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