Wigan Warriors' Kai Pearce-Paul wants own perfect send-off before Sam Tomkins
He stands at six foot six inches but Wigan star Kai Pearce-Paul has still always looked up to rugby league legend Sam Tomkins.
However, the rangy England second-row, 22, will be out to bring the brilliant Catalans full-back to his knees in Saturday’s Grand Final. All the talk is of how ex-England captain Tomkins - one of the true modern greats - hopes to bow out a Super League winner again versus the club where he made his name. But, although the superstar will retire after the Old Trafford showdown, Pearce-Paul is after his own big send-off given he’s swapping Wigan for NRL outfit Newcastle Knights in 2024.
The Londoner never played alongside Tomkins at Wigan but said: “Growing up, I was watching rugby league and saw him in all the big games like Wigan v Leeds and St Helens. Sam Tomkins was a superhero at this club, a great player and a brilliant talisman for the sport, someone for all kids to look out for.
“I’m sure he’ll be remembered far into the future after retirement. It’ll be great to go up against him. I always looked up to him as a kid and now finishing playing against him will be really good. But after spending the last four years of my life at Wigan, this will be my first shot at major silverware. It would be a fairytale ending to win it.”
If Matty Peet’s side play anything like Saturday’s semi-final rout of hapless Hull KR, it is hard to imagine anything other than a Wigan victory. Liam Marshall scored a hat-trick with Jai Field (2), Abbas Miski and Toby King also crossing and the impressive scrum-half Harry Smith slotting all seven goals. Pearce-Paul, in last year’s England World Cup squad with Catalans trio Tomkins, Michael McIlorum and Mike McMeeken, rampaged around in his all-action style.
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Pearce-Paul still looks up to rugby league legend Sam Tomkins (PA)Asked if they could beat anyone playing like they did against KR, he said: “You'd like to think so. But different teams have different attributes and play better in certain circumstances. We were good against KR, though. We had a gameplan and stuck to it. We couldn’t do any more but if you bring that intensity shown there and that belief and trust in each other, I feel we can go well against any team. But we know a Grand Final is a different occasion: it’s such a big one, nerves come into play and pressure so it can go either way.”
Wigan, who have not been champions since 2018, only won the League Leaders’ Shield ahead of Catalans by virtue of a better points difference. But they are slight favourites to complete the job.
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