Over the years I've spoken to many supporters of rival clubs and very few are able to grasp why I always say Tommy was my all-time favourite player. Usually the response is -
"What? Over Newlove, Sculthorpe, Cunningham, Joynt, Sullivan, Long, Goulding etc?"Yes, they were all great players who perhaps in thirty or forty years time will still be recognised as such. But there was something ABOUT Martyn that set him apart from all the rest. Something unquantifiable, inexplicable that transcended the game itself. Talent was a big factor. Aside from - perhaps - Jamie Lyon, Tommy was the most naturally gifted rugby player I've seen in a Saints shirt. He could do anything he set his mind to - whether it be a booming sixty-yard forty-twenty to change the balance of the game, a mesmerizing reverse pass to bamboozle the defence, a thunderous "Cumberland Throw" to take down a rampaging prop or - before his knees went - a freakish inside step that seemed to defy the laws of motion. Tommy made it look easy. Moreover, I always got the feeling HE thought it was easy. Some fans have used this as ammunition for the claim that he was inconsistent, didn't try hard enough, lacked professionalism etc. Further bullets were provided when Hanley tried to sell him (one of closest shaves this club has had in its history). I think these claims were always based on creaky foundations. It's one thing to demand consistency in the basics of the game - it's quite another to ask an artist to paint the same picture again and again. I mean, how do you repeat - week-to-week - some of the unique things Tommy did? The simple answer is - you can't. Genius isn't summoned on demand.
But leaving aside the magic, Tommy WAS consistent in many areas of his game. His defence (aside from the Cumberland Throws) rarely gets mentioned but this was a guy who regularly hit 30 tackles in a game. I know for sure that he topped forty in two matches. 40 tackles for a stand-off back then - unbelievable! And Tommy being Tommy - he even made tackling look like child's play.
But it wasn't just about talent. Tommy was a showman. Not the modern media-whoring lover kind that football attracts in spades. He kept his theatrics firmly ON the field. He didn't just recognise the fans - he ENTERTAINED them. There's an excellent film by Ken Loach titled "Looking For Eric" which intelligently explores the relationship between entertainers and fans. It features none other than Eric Cantona who says something along the lines of
"I always tried to give ze fans something each game". THAT was our Tommy. The dummies, sidesteps, chip-overs etc. - sure, there was a cockiness, a swagger associated with them - but they were as much for the supporters as himself. In many cases he could have got by just as well without the tricks and magic, but that would have denied the fans. Furthermore, he also had the knack of giving the OPPOSITION something to talk about too by playing the villain. Tommy knew how to wind up rival speccies - but, importantly, he always kept his villainy this side of good taste. Far too many players go over the top venturing into the realms of genuine antagonism. With Tommy it was solely about having a laugh in a good-natured way. And when on those rare occasions things blew up in his face (like the match Allan Langer stripped the ball from his grasp to score a try at Wilderspool) he not only accepted the gaffe with good grace, he theatrically played up his embarrassment for all to see on the big screen. I think this is the reason so many rival supporters tolerated him when they wouldn't give the time of day to any other Saints player.
I often think what Tommy would have achieved had he not been so unfortunate with injuries. For sure his sidestep went after the first knee reconstruction and a bit of his pace, too. Given the misfortune he suffered I suppose it's a miracle he achieved so much. As for his omission from the GB team. For me it is one of the greatest scandals associated with the national side in years. It wouldn't be so bad if we were inundated with halves! When you think about some of the dross who've worn the shirt before Tommy - exasperating.
I feel justice was served, of a sort, when he won the Players' Player of the Year Award - one year after Hanley had tried to sell him. It was good to know that even if the numpties in charge of GB didn't rate him his peers did and I'm sure he must take great pride in that achievement.
I could go on for hours writing paragraph after paragraph about why Tommy is the greatest but I haven't the time. Suffice to say that he brought more smiles to my face than any other Saint. And during a period when we didn't lack genius he re-defined it.
He played with cheeky glint in his eye and without a shred of malice and if we had thirteen players of his ilk we'd thrash the Ozzies senseless (and look Tarantino-cool in the process).
