I'm not having a go at him, I'm pointing out the holes in some of the stuff Ford has come out with. Even the video of him on the BBC article about Leeds' interest he says Burgess was given time off because of his World Cup involvement just like other World Cup players......erm haven't they said elsewhere that it was to clear his head around the speculation and also George Ford and Anthony Watson played every game since England's exit.

We don't know his decision? Well it's obvious it's not that he wants to stay at Bath, that's obvious to tell from his silence. He only needs to stay silent if he wants to leave and has to wait for a deal to be done.....he doesn't have to stay silent if he wants stay, in fact he'd be doing his coach a hell of a favour by coming out and announcing he was staying instead of letting Ford continue having to bat away these questions daily.

No wonder burgess is at least considering a return to RL, england play him at centre, now a year later his club coach says he needs to be a no.6, some ball carrying, the odd offload, some big hit tackling but lots of scrambling around on the floor fighting for the ball, trying to be an expert at ruck, endless messing about at scrum and line out. Even if he could become a top class 6 would he actually enjoy much of the game stood around? He grew up an RL fan and player and like many of us deep down he will prefer RL as a game. His silence speaks volumes as the printer says. Rhinos made £ 1m profit last year, they can pay a fee or part fee for a 1 year deal, Gh has gone public to put some pressure on and try to force the issue, be great if it came to fruition.

Six and seven are probably the two most involved positions in the game. He certainly wouldn't be spending most of it "stood around", they're the best positions to get the most out of his abilities and where England should have insisted he started rather than messing him around just to get him involved in the World Cup.

England RU should have taken a longer term view with burgess and developed him in the back row position. It's the most interesting position and wouldn't involve a great deal of standing around. Don't get me wrong I would love him to come to Leeds and league but let's not kid ourselves that union is going to be that boring. You may not like watching it, but it's enjoyable to play in.

I don't think you are quoting Ford accurately. You omitted to say he also said after his first game back after the WC Burgess went to Ford to say his head didn't feel right so he was given leave to sort it out and come back refreshed. Ford also said the after effects of a WC can effect players in different ways and at different times in certain cases taking months. Watson and Ford Jun. have not shown ill effects yet so hence no time off yet. So no holes there.

Burgess has to stay silent until a deal is done as he is a Bath player under contract to a club he respects. I agree that the signs are that he wants out for understandable reasons but while ever there is no deal on the table or acceptable to Bath then SB has to stay quiet.

Leeds have not made an offer because SB is under contract and have made clear they will only do so if the club say they will accept offers. It is quite reasonable that Bath will expect Sam to honour his contract and they may chose to refuse to consider offers and see if time will heal SAM's worries.

If a deal is not agreed this week it will be interesting to see if Sam plays at the weekend as it was reported he said he had played his last game of Union. My guess is Ford wants to at least prove that comment wrong.

I haven't misquoted Ford, he's just given several answers about Burgess over the weeks that contradict one another.

I do know he said the one you listed above. He also at a different time said the one I mentioned.

Take the point that 6 and 7 are involved more than others and that plenty of people enjoy it, however in england matches ball is usually in play for 35 of the 80 minutes. Will sam want to spend a fair chunk of those Minutes in the premiership/ test matches rolling around on the floor playing tug of war for the ball? Worse still he may not be get any good at the dark arts of the breakdown. I can enjoy watching union the way nz and aus can play it but sam has to play for england. If he stays at bath, good luck to him and I hope he can become a top international back row. I don't know much about RU forward play but the best like Hill, back, mccaw, pocock always seem to be the guys mess up the opposition at the breakdown. Those are skills he does not yet possess.

Perhaps you are not reading the full quotes but just the headlines. I have found his full quotes to be consistent.

The latest news is that Sam will be playing at 6 this weekend and he has trained well, not said he wants to leave and his frame of mind has been brilliant. Time will tell

[urlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/sam-burgess/11973031/Sam-Burgess-will-see-out-his-Bath-rugby-union-contract-insists-Mike-Ford.html[/url

The back row will suit Burgess well as he is a forward and wants to be involved with tackles and carries which he will be. I personally see him as a No 8 ball carrier

Again you're just taking one version of what you've read.

Says on that one that they planned to use him as a sub for the first two games back then start the next two. (Given England's untimely exit that must've been a harshly arranged plan as he could've been playing a WC Final only a few days ago if all ever well). However on the video on BBC website he said it was always planned for him to have a break after the World Cup.

Contradictory is it not?

You might need to have a word with Ford to start playing no.8 not 6 or he may get even more confused! Ball carrier bit makes sense.

I am taking all versions into consideration and full quotes not just headlines. It is a full month since we were dumped out of the competition hardly a "harshly arranged plan" or even a hastily arranged one. So had we reached the final then the break would have come a bit later. Not contradictory and doesn't prove a conspiracy theory anyway.

His route to No 8 is best via No 6

It was hastily arranged considering it says they planned for him to be a sub in Bath's OPENING two games. Given that the opening two games for them landed on WC QF and SF week then some quick planning was needed considering they'd have expected/hoped England to still be in the tournament.

No doubt Souths have been in touch, but to get him they'd have to free up a lot of cap space and agree to a fee. It's very difficult to do for next year without unbalancing their team entirely. Which would in turn be a poisoned chalice for Burgess because if they don't have a good year it won't be long before the knives are out and people question his value.

I tend to think he'll stay in RU for another season at least, if only because Souths can't get organised, but also because I think he'll want to be seen as a success in RU, which he can only do by playing. The idea that Souths' couldn't stump up whatever it takes in terms of fee is nonsense - Crowe is the poorest owner there.

Playing for England again will be a long slog IMO. The current coaches will all get the chop - its the minimum that will change as a result of what was a disaster on the field. A new coach might find it easier to pick him, but equally might want to steer well clear. TBH it probably depends on the coach. Eddie Jones the former Wallaby coach would be open to him as he's well aware of the capability of NRL players. But an English RU through-and-through type? Just don't see them wanting or needing the kind of rubbish associated with Burgess.

Have it your own way if that is what you want to believe. The point is not relevant anyway as Sam is staying with Bath.....at least for the moment.

What you talking about, "if that's what i want to believe"......I'm quoting from an article YOU posted. Did you not read it?

Clearly says they planned to have him sub in Bath's opening two games then the next two at starter. These games fell in a period he would've expected/hoped to still be with England in he World Cup.

Elsewhere Ford said the World Cup players like Burgess were always doing to get a rest. Considering after those opening 4 games that they planned to use him they then start their European campaign it's unlikely he'd be getting rested for that period either.

So yes the point that I was making that Ford is contradicting himself does stand up, you even helped me make it by posting that article.

Which article and what date? And why does this matter?

The burgess saga has been a fiasco, he has never been given time to adapt to union. Unlike his kiwi counterpart money boy Williams .
Certain broadsheet scribes have conveniently made him one of the scapegoats for the World Cup disaster .
Cheerfully overlooking the fact he never got a decent pass in the Wales match, also England were winning when they hauled him off.
I would love to see him stay at bath and prove his critics wrong.

Part of which is his own fault. He could have stuck around at Souths until the end of the 2015 NRL season, come into the sport with the next World Cup still four years away and slowly built his way into the England side through weight of club performances.

Instead he opted to jump ship at a time that left him just 12 months to learn the game before the most high profile examination of his talents in front of a worldwide audience, under the additional pressure of expectation from the hosts.

Amidst some of the various post-tournament bits of mud-slinging, it's been a bit lost that this is a situation partly of Sam's own making,

Burgess has tried to model himself on SBW ever since he went to the NRL, and to me, part of his motivation to move to RU was to try and out do SBW. Now, as good a player Burgess is, SBW is a level above him in terms of skill level, and he's a couple of yards quicker.

New Zealand as a Team play a very "Rugby League" style of play and have played to SBWs strengths.

England as a Team play a very 1860s style of play and have played to SBs Weaknesses.

I'm sure there is some truth in that. The thing is, i think SB underestimated how poor this England side was for a host nation with great expectations which always meant his selection would be heavily scrutinised under failure which was already on the cards with the group draw etc.., despite him doing an ok job to be fair.SBW however had the luxury of slipping into a team head and shoulders above the rest under far less pressure in a star studded side, knowing that if his team performs to potential they win the WC.hence, why he now has 2 WC winners gongs.

If only life was that simple. The big problem for Sam was playing under a complete failure of coach in Lancaster .
Who whilst building steadily for the World Cup abandoned two of his creative players ford and care at the vital stage of the tournament .
Hence burgess not receiving any decent ball. All water under the bridge but Eastwood may have been better playing alongside burgess.
All this coupled with the fact that England failed miserably at turnover ball resulted in burgess never having a chance to shine.
Still his reported contract of four hundred thousand smackers a year will be of some consolation to him.

Don't believe any of this for a second. SB went to union to out do SBW? Have a word with yourself.

He went because he thought England and by extension him had a shot at winning the WC. I'm pretty sure what some 30 year old kiwi was doing was never in his head.