I think its going to make a good viewing on Saturday seeing Sam play for the Barbarians.

Looking forward to it.

At least he will be wearing Wigan's socks. Or do the Barbarians still do that club sock business?

You wear your countries socks normally so he may well play in Wigan's

Ba-ba games are traditionally hard fought with a fair few young & upcoming players but the intensity is just not that of a full international. They have always been a release of the shackles type game in terms of throwing the ball about, defenders don't go OTT in their efforts so loads of points are usually scored. It IS an exhibition match so with the result not massively important expect lots of open passages of play which Sam might well expose if played in the right position.

Nope, but it might have stopped us looking like little b*tches who jump at the chance to roll out red carpets all the way to Twickers for our brightest young stars.

Pretty sure you wear your club socks?

Anyway, lots of paranoid bitching and wailing on this thread. So Sam got a call, "Hi Sam, RFU here, would you like to play for the Baa-Baas in a charity match against Australia?". He probably spoke to Wayne/IL and said yes. Simple as that.

It's a one-off charity game. For those who don't understand these things, Sam has just signed a big contract with Wigan. You might say "contracts don't count for anything" but what it does mean is that in the last few weeks he's committed himself to Wigan (albeit thanks to Saracens knocking at the door with a big cheque), and also - more crucially - it means that anyone wanting him will now probably have to pay millions.

Would anyone care half as much if Andy Lynch or Keith Mason or Danny Brough or Jonny Lomax had been invited and decided to give it a crack? No. We know Wigan have recently had contact with the RFU/Saracens - christ, they've just announced a partnership with Saracens! - so why should this come as any surprise?

If Sam doesn't perform, nothing lost. If he tears the game apart you might just get some kids wondering, "what's this Rugby League all about if they've got players like that?" How one lad playing a stint in a charity game is detrimental to the whole of RL I don't know. He'll still be back at pre-season and playing on a cold night at Hull KR in January. Business as usual.

RL fans being whiney paranoid tarts. Some things never change.

The important thing is, whichever decision is taken regarding him playing, is that the RFL have conviction and work to strengthen our game.

So, either they show the commitment the the ARL guy Gallop had in protecting our sport, or (assuming Sam rips it up) use it as a PR stunt and roll out a few adverts for Superleague playing on the fact our players are head and shoulders above when it come to excitment.

Or....

Give him a brown paper bag of cash to persued him to look as as possible, which will help put any union club off bothering with league converts?

RFU beat us to it mate. His value must have taken a nose-dive after last weekend

Those sneaky barstewards.

I just don't get Wigan fans. Claim to be the most passionate, form this ultras movement, then are gleefully happy when their main star is being whored around Union.

On the Wigan forum on here they are discussing where Wigan RU will be based and how many season tickets they can shift. They are also gleefully posting their ideas of how the top flight in Union will look when Wigan are in it, post the demise of RL...

Point out anyone who's gleefully happy about it? I'd rather he wasn't playing, more from an injury risk perspective than anything, but he is and I'll probably watch. I expect the range of emotions amongst Wigan fans goes from anger to a vague interest - I doubt any are 'gleefully happy' about it. As for the 'Wigan RU' thread, that's simply speculation following recent developments. Anyone with half a brain can see RU in Wigan would not succeed.

As for the Saracens partnership, I know you're mainly trolling and I'm sure you can actually see the benefits to both clubs, whether you agree with it or not. You're entitled not to like it, but please don't play stupid.

Calm down dear, it's only an exhibition game. Sam will be back to work at Wigan next week as usual and we all know you're a closet Sam lover.

Sam has reiterated in an interview this morning that he will be at Wigan for a minimum of three years and possibly five.

Once people get their heads around this they should be able to see the potential opportunities of having the (mainly union) media help to promote one of our brightest stars whilst still playing RL.

If he plays poorly on Saturday then maybe they start to lose interest in him. If he has a stormer then Wigan and RL can promote our game using one of the most talked about rugby players in the country. I think Wigan's aim is to build their brand to a wider audience, but to do that we need national publicity on a scale that we haven't had before.

There is a saying in business that if you always do what you've always done you will always get what you have always got - In the case of RL this is a paucity of national publicity despite having a fantastic product. Maybe the time has come for some radical thinking.

But just imagine for a second he has a blinder. Scores a wonder try. People aren't going to watch Wigan, or Rugby League, or Super League in general because of that. All it will do is make the RFU push harder to sign him.

All this 'it's good publicity' stuff is a nonsense. We've seen scores of Union players play League. Did anyone on here go and watch a game of Union because Gareth Thomas joined Crusaders?

If anything, the people most likely to benefit from this venture are the North West based Union sides. People will watch the Barbarians game, think Union is open and entertaining and potentially go and watch them.

First of all, what an honour for Sam. To be picked by the Barbarians and be seen by hundreds of millions of people around the globe, must be the highlight of his short career so far. Only a union world cup win with england in 2015 would be a greater achievement in his career.

I think its a good move for Sam personally. Its obvious hes off in 3 years so hes ready for the 2015 Rugby world cup so this gives him a taste of whats to come. It also gives RL exposure as the hundreds of millions of people around the globe, watching the game will be like "whos that scrawny kid at fullback?" so then these people will find out there is another code of rugby around. By allowing Sam to play in this game, Ian Leneghan has done more marketing for the game of Rugby league than the rfl have done in 20 years and he should be applauded for this.

A spot on answer

Surely he was being sarcastic?

Great post. I do not mean it in a sarcastic way at all

What utter crap!! Re-read the thread again, it's 50 50 at the moment.

Hundreds of millions.... Please..... Don't believe the hype... Tool

That's why it's tongue in cheek.

Lets er on the side of caution then and say tens of millions around the globe, just to appease the warrington fan with a chip on his shoulder. Thats still exposure of RL on an uprecedented scale so well done Ian Leneghan

Are they playing RL when this audience of tens of millions tunes in?

Frankly you can only be dissapointed with Sams loyalty to RL.

Im still fuming with the RFL because of the half assed extention of the cap with Sams new contract. If they were going to do this it should have been a separate devlopment to Sams new contract.

But for me I frankly cant see how wigan fans can defend their chairmans actions.

RU have again pulled a masterstroke for this game boosting the Tv viewing attendance.

Wigan are looking increasingly weak in the face of RU and are allowing players to dictate.

We saw the fallout from the eastmond saga on the pitch and that was miniscule compared to this.

Sure you may increase his value but its his profile that gets raised not Wigans and not RL.

Rugby League will never be watched by an audience of tens of millions.

But what better way to market our game, than Sam having a blinder during a union game.

Im sorry, but for all you chip on shoulder flat cappers who cant see the huge benefit in this, there is no hope.

Ah, the 'flat-cappers' response; often trotted out by people who are prepared to accept the RFL's mishandling of RL as a product, because they don't have any understanding themselves of how it could be improved.

As for 'what better way to market the game' - given the fact that this will do little or nothing at all for the profile of RL, there's a million and one better ways to market the game. 24 hours worth of posts on this forum alone for example, could provide better marketing ideas than letting RL's latest starlet play for the other code - a code which only this morning has shown that it's elite level players use international duties as an excuse to behave like a pub team on a weekend jolly.

If Sam puts in a good performance it believe it will encourage more people to watch RL.

Why would he want to switch to union? After what I read in the papers today it's filled with idiots.