Think this is what it hinges on. I do think he'll be starting 2016 as a RL player and he'll obviously be a Souths player again one year, it's just a question of whether they can make it happen in 2016 or 2017 with regards to their SC. If it's the latter year it opens up the door for us to get him for 12 months.

I might be wrong but I don't think Sam has won a club honor in the UK .His brother Luke has got a SL ring Sam might want one too or a CC winners medal.

Yes your right he was unlucky enough to play for Bradford on their downward spiral

That's correct. Only made his debut in the summer of 2006 (against us at Headingley) so missed out on Bradford's last hurrah with the 2005 GF. Not even a final to speak of let alone a win. Would imagine having a crack at appearing in a SL GF and a Wembley Cup Final would appeal to him and we are in the WCC next year. The Burgess twins have just signed new contracts with Souths so all is looking happy there in terms of Family Burgess despite Luke's departure.

Where is Luke going? I know he is not (never was) wanted at Brookie.

He joined Manly at the beginning of this year

Just to add! Whatever is going on and how realistic it is re Burgess I don't know......But

You can smell the fear on the Pies board. They are $hitting it at the thought of us getting the big fella.

Cheers, but I know that, he was never wanted a Brookvale, it was a board signing that the coaching staff were not consulted on. Fulton & Barrett told Burgess he wasn't wanted in 2016. My understanding is that he doesn't have a club. I thought he had a 1 year deal at Manly?

still under contract for 2016 according to www.zerotackle.com/nrl/rugby-lea ... iFTeIk8.97 but with barrett taking over he may not be wanted but with getting released by rabbitts for fighting in usa his may struggle and could end up back in super league. depends if he minds playing 2nd grade rugby

still under contract for 2016 according to www.zerotackle.com/nrl/rugby-lea ... iFTeIk8.97 but with barrett taking over he may not be wanted but with getting released by rabbitts for fighting in usa his may struggle and could end up back in super league. depends if he minds playing 2nd grade rugby

I may be in a minority, but I'm really not sure Leeds should sign Burgess even if he wants to.

Firstly it would only be for one year. Souths might struggle to fit him under the cap for 2016 but they could easily free up space for 2017. If he comes back to RL he will want to go back to Souths (the prodigal son stuff would be absolutely nauseating BTW). I think if he really wants to return to RL Souths will do anything they can to sign him for 2016 anyway.

Secondly Leeds' success - typified this year - has been based on a team ethos that has been built over a decade but could easily get destroyed in less than a year. Burgess would no doubt be a 'marquee' player, meaning he'd smash Leeds' wage structure. That could seriously upset players who've been offered more elsewhere but chose to stay because of the club ethos.

Burgess has also shown that for him its all about Sam Burgess. He played up the Burgess clan cobblers at Souths but immediately his head got turned by the thought of starring in the RUWC he left the country - despite all the garbage about it being his dream to play with his brothers and have all his family close.

I'm really not sure I'd want Sam around the younger players in the squad - would anyone trade a better chance of winning things next year for the loss of the likes of Watkins afterwards?

If Leeds could sign Burgess within their wage structure and make clear to him that its Sam Burgess that would need to fit in at Leeds and not the other way round then it may be worth a punt. But I'd be careful what you wish for.

Not to change the subject in here, but Mulhern to hull KR next season on loan is also on the agenda.

Add to it that Bath have just signed a lad from Wigan's u19's, a centre called Liam Forsyth.

Also doing the rounds over there concerning a player we've previously been linked with. Ryan Hampshire to Castleford for next year is rumoured.

I seriously doubt the team ethos could be destroyed solely by signing Burgess. They're a few certain players who you could sign and the squad be so impressed with that they'd be ok with him taking the marquee money and I thnk Burgess falls into that category.

I'm sure Burgess would be a positive influence whilst at the club. But when he leaves??

He's shown that loyalty to a sport or club (or even playing alongside his family) are meaningless compared to what he can get out of playing. That's fair enough, its his life, but do you really want him telling young players about what its like hanging out with Rusty and his mates and being a star in Sydney, or how he made England's RU team within months and played at Twickers? In both cases walking away early from contracts he'd signed? Particularly when he'd then be waving goodbye after a year.

If Peacock and Sinfield were still around I'd say the club ethos would be almost impossible to damage. But they've gone, and I think it makes the next year or so absolutely crucial in terms of keeping that going.

I'm not saying Leeds shouldn't look at him if he's interested. All I'm saying is that I'd want him to be managed very carefully if he did.

Yeah I don't think he'll be bigging up RU to our guys. If anything he'll warn them against going to RU.

I was surprised when Mulhern wasn't selected for the Irish squad for the European Championship games.
Was he unfit? He played against the Kiwis though.

That would be a very good move for both Leeds and Mulhern.

Agree. I think JP at HKR could prove a useful contact for loan agreements.

How much would Burgess damage his reputation by chopping and changing clubs and sports?

I know SBW has done the same, but in comparison to Burgess he's been a blinding success in Union regularly getting into the 23 for the best side in the world. Burgess hasn't even cracked a place in a mediocre England side which couldn't get out of its World Cup group. Also, hasn't SBW timed his contracts in such a way that he wasn't walking out in the middle of them to go somewhere else?

If you're another NRL club or a SL club, do you want a player who packs up his bags when either it gets a bit tough for him in Union or someone puts something shiny in front of him to tempt him (his departure from Souths)? Would you want to be basing your long term vision for a club around a marquee player who seems to have the attention span of a cocker spaniel?

Don't think it'll matter. If he walks out on em and the Lancaster-Farrell-Ford team gets the chop, I think there'll be far fewer offers, at least for the top players.

All valuable points, as usual.

I think it's a context thing, though. If we were still a nearly club - like, say, Wigan - then grafting on a player of Burgess' stature could be very disruptive. It would indeed be a rejection of all the things that got us where we are today and potentially a return to the horrible mistakes of the past.

However, we are now a club who has won everything. All roads lead downwards from here [iunless[/i we aim for something bigger. In fact, it's essential that we do. Risks will have to be taken.

The next step up on the ladder is to establish ourselves as a global RL brand, like Souths - capable of transcending the boundaries of the sport. Far-fetched? Probably. But the success of the last decade could be the foundation of something transformational for our game.

Andy G - re SBW have you forgotten that he walked out on the Dogs in the middle of the season?

I agree entirely about the rest of your post though. Sam has made his bed and if he comes back to RL (which is great for the sport) he'll be forever seen as a failure in England regardless of what he does in RL. If he stays in RU his legacy in RL will be diminished and whilst he could come good there's no way he'll ever have the same impact in RU. Whilst I hope he comes back to RL I honestly think his best bet is to maybe do one more year in RU (to at least 'make it' at club level) and then try to capitalise as much as possible on the prodigal son angle when he returns to Souths.

Either way I wouldn't be at all surprised if he somewhat regrets listening to Farrell and Ford now.

I'm inclined to believe the story has some merit now as it's being reported on the Sky Sports website. They are usually pretty reliable and don't usually report stuff if it isn't from a good source.

I see a number of posts stating that Minchella won't return. Has that been confirmed or is it justa rumour?

Minchella's dad posts on here and has confirmed he will not be at Leeds next season.