IT MUST BE TRUE IF ITS IN CAPITALS

BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE "FACT" AFTER IT I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE

Or the fact that the coaching team are fighting to save their jobs and coming into line with the prevailing establishment/press opinions ref Burgess might win some support.

Hopefully the allure of playing for the International RU team ranked 8th will be reduced to a point where poaching the RL talent is more difficult for the RFU. That would hopefully allow them the time, money and effort free to build up from the grass roots.

I read something yesterday that said the bookies had stopped taking bets on Sam Burgess signing for Leeds. I just assumed it was because it was so far fetched even the bookies couldn't stoop so low as to take money from people thinking it would happen.

Thing is, Burgess isn't contracted to the RFU. He's contracted to Bath, where the coaching staff rate him highly.

Someone is going to have to write a very big cheque to Bath if they want to secure his signature before the end of his contract, or the player is going to have to negotiate a release if he genuinely wants away.

I suspect Andy Farrell may be moving jobs before Sam Burgess does, particularly if the allegations that he spoke to the referee at half-time on Saturday are proven.

Like that would ever happen

Not according to SkyBet, who said the reason they stopped taking bets was because they had a number of people asking for a price and were worried about someone having inside info.

Sam Burgess not included in the squad at all for the next England game

I heard he asked to be excused so he could go watch the GF

Ok by me. But you just did respond

Why do Andy Farrell and Jason Robinson speak differently now than they did when they played League??

Presumably northern working class accents have to change if you move to Union?

Mike Ford is already talking about Burgess looking forward to the next world cup. It'll be interesting to see what happens. I think Burgess will probably look to stay in RU, but when the reality bites of not having any particular media interest as he just learns to play in the forwards, and he's just trotting around playing club rugby, he may change his mind.

No other England coach will risk him until and unless he's not just one of the best forwards around but clearly the best in his position. I can't see him playing for England again for a couple of years at least.

Burgess himself has shown with his early departure from Souths that he doesn't particularly care about contracts. I'm sure if push came to shove and he wanted to go back to Souths mid contract he'd pull out his lifetime pass and wheel out Russell Crowe and his mum to talk about how important it is to him to be back with his family. Which is exactly what he milked for all its worth whilst at Souths, only to suddenly decide that he could actually quite happily live on the other side of the world from the rest of them.

It's one thing to say it now about saying in RU with a group game (as pointless as it is) to be played...wait until after the World Cup when sacrificial lambs are needed to appeased the press and fans.

I've always been curious to hear an explanation from Jason Robinson why he felt the need for elocution lessons when he switched to RU

I think bagging Sam Burgess is very unfair. He didn't select himself and did all he could on and off the pitch. His employment choices are his own as well. To even try to blame in any way Sam for England's failure is pretty stupid. Personally I wouldn't have selected him or Barritt (who was far worse as a centre) but that's not his fault and he was not responsible for England looking utterly clueless for three matches. That's all down to the coaches.

Not just Northern working class accents, ask Jeremy Guscott.

According to Ford on Radio Leeds last night the last conversation he had with Burgess was prior to the WC, when Burgess was no doubt on a media high. Things have changed significantly over the last week.

We touched on this on the wire forum. .. I believe they would have called it media training rather than elocution lessons. ... and to be fair rugby league must do it. ...

Ive seen people have a pop at big Eorl talking "posh Yorkshire" on the bbc but at least he's understandable and doesn't make you cringe...

And as I said on our forum we can't carry on wheeling players out to big tv audiences and have them mumble "it war ol about stickin t ' gearm plan, gerrin int arm ressul an seein out us sets".

We will continue to look like a hillbilly sport if people can't understand our star players. ...

Spot on. In particular if you have an interest in a career in the media after your playing days, it helps to be able to speak clearly and in an accent that everyone can understand.

Mark Chapman's from Rochdale, but you wouldn't know it to listen to him on the TV.

That said, can anyone particularly remember what Jason Robinson's accent was like before he went to Union? He was hardly one for giving lengthy TV interviews, so I'm struggling to remember just what he sounded like.

I agree we should have players who can speak clearly and maybe not say "them" instead of "those" but you don't need to change your accent for that.

Wilkin speaks well and still has a Hull accent. In fact I think he's really good on TV. Don't seem to like him as much when he's on the pitch playing against Leeds but that might be more to do with the fact that I think he'd have been a perfect second rower for Leeds over the past 5 or so years?

Another:
Michael Ford. Whilst in League[u Mick [/uFord. Now in Union[u Mike [/uFord, when he was on the radio today.
Was Mick too Northern sounding, or common? Or maybe he just fancied a change.

I'm sure he was Mike Ford at Cas. Mind you, Cas is a lot posher than Wigan.

I'd sooner live in Castleford, than anywhere over the Hill, and that's saying something!

I always remember him as Mike Ford, from his Oldham days.