As compliments go, a forearm smash to the side of the head falls into the unwelcome category. Once his senses had cleared, however, Sam Tomkins accepted the assault on his person philosophically.
"There was no lasting damage, it's something that can happen in the heat of the moment, so you just take it and get on with it," says the young Wigan half-back of the incident this month that saw Harlequins centre David Howell become the first player to receive a straight red card in Super League this season.
He accepted Howell's post-match apology with equanimity. Being bashed by the opposition is something a promising new playmaker has to cope with in his first full season. "The more I play, the more it happens, though that probably was a bit extreme," says Tomkins. "You have to learn to look after yourself. And there are 12 other people on the pitch who'll be sticking up for you."
Not that Tomkins appears to need much looking after. What has become clear this season is that the slightly gawky 20-year-old has a core of steel as well as being marvellously talented. His performance in Wigan's victory against Hull Kingston Rovers last month was a case in point. Coming off the bench after stand-off Tim Smith dislocated his shoulder in a failed attempt to prevent the Rovers winger Peter Fox scoring, Tomkins' first act was an outstanding tackle to stop Fox scoring again.
It was the pivotal moment in a crucial victory for the Warriors, after a fortnight in which they had been beaten by Celtic Crusaders and learnt their England forward Gareth Hock had tested positive for cocaine. Wins against Quins and Catalans Dragons followed, while victory today at Bradford would keep the club solidly in line for the playoffs. With a Challenge Cup semi-final against Warrington to come, the season could yet end gloriously for the cherry and whites.
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"Hopefully we're coming into a bit of form but we have to work on our consistency for the rest of the season," says Tomkins. "We've got a few wins now, and momentum is important."
When looking beyond the immediate, he shows plenty of optimism, which is one of the reasons he recently agreed to sign a new five-year Wigan contract in a sport where playing careers are relatively short.
"The chairman, Ian Lenagan, told me he wanted me to be at the club for a long time and I don't want to go anywhere else. But you have to weigh up the options and it took six weeks to sort the figures out."
If Tomkins is at Wigan for the foreseeable future, however, coach Brian Noble almost certainly isn't, and the constant speculation over who will be in charge next season isn't passing the players by. They are also aware they are only a couple of good performances away from winning a trophy.
"You can't help but be aware of all the talk, but we're paid to play, Nobby's the coach, and for now that's what matters," Tomkins says. An old head on young shoulders off the pitch as well as on it, apparently.