Wigan hope Sam Tomkins will see out his contract with the English Super League club but general manager Kris Radlinski is also certain the star fullback would be a big success in the NRL.

Tomkins has been linked with a move to the Auckland-based Warriors, whom Radlinski is visiting this week as the two clubs explore a partnership deal.

“I think he would be a sensation,” Radlinski said.

“I always say about him that behind the flashy boots and the sidesteps and everything like that, what’s underneath is a real competitor.

“He’s a great professional and I’m sure he would do an outstanding job.”

Asked for an update as to whether Tomkins is indeed NRL-bound, Radlinski said the 24-year-old was the best player in England “by a long way” and would always be associated with big clubs.

He said Wigan wanted Tomkins to see out the remaining two years of his contract.

“But we’ve also said, if something comes up, we’ll speak to him,” he said.

“He said to us `at the minute, I’m just committed to Wigan’ so we’ll see what happens.”

If Tomkins were to move to the NRL, he would join a growing list of British players joining the competition.

Radlinski said people could either be concerned about that development, or embrace it “and that’s what we’re doing at Wigan”.

“We realise there are opportunities down here and if players want to come out we’ll support them,” he said.

“All we ask is that, if they ever come back to the UK, they consider us first.”

Radlinski is himself a former fullback with more than 300 appearances for Wigan and was teammates with Warriors general manager of football operations Dean Bell.

His trip to Auckland follows a visit by Bell and chief executive Wayne Scurrah to Wigan, who are also known as the Warriors.

Radlinski said among proposals under discussion is an annual pre-season match between the clubs, perhaps from 2015.

Another possibility was an exchange programme for junior players.