menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... arians-bow WTF??

menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... arians-bow WTF??

If this is true then WTF!

I am a wigan fan and think Sam is brilliant but I am not supporting this. He is a Rugby League player so shouldnt be playing Union. You wanna play Union then don't play for a Rugby League Club.

If the RFL put a stop to this (which they should) then I would support them!

Great publicity for sl if true.

It can't be true. The Union boys will kill him.

Utterly bizarre. It makes you wonder just exactly Wigan are up to with this bed sharing with Union.

How on earth do Wigan benefit from Sam being wined, dined and courted by Union?

Hope he scores a try and lifts his shirt footballer-style to reveal a "100% League 0% Union" message.

That would be so funny.

This won't happen. He hasn't even played union. Has he?

He would get crucified on and off the field!

Willie Mason's first game in Union was a Barbarians appearance was it not? I can see why Union would do it, it's an excellent opportunity to show him round, tell him how much he could earn and showcase the sport to him. As a PR exercise it would also help sell a few more tickets.

I just don't see why Wigan would sanction such stupidity.

This is what I suspected the Wigan tie up with Saracens is about. Letting him / others try out Union in training and possible play in their next WC whilst keeping them longer (if not always in RL). In other words, we may see top players representing England in both codes in future but playing their club rugby in their own sport. It'll only be possible in a few positions though - mainly wingers.

Presumably he'll get well payed for it and it won't come under the SC?.

So in his contract, he cannot talk to Union teams but he can play Union when he wants!

Madness if true, hey after he plays for Barbarians lets allow him to play for Saracens or England Saxtons.

Potentially. But if he falls under a 25 stone flabber of a prop and snaps a few ligaments and misses most of next season, I can't see how it will benefit Wigan.

The lad ought to concentrate on learning to play RL before trying something new. I'm not being sarcastic - it's true. He's not mastered this game. He needs to show a bit more pride. Get out tomorrow and spend all day trying to get his feet to the ball when trying to field high kicks with someone running at him with a tackling shield.

well if that was to happen then yes it wouldn't benefit wigan but if it doesn't happen then sam earns a lot more money and wigan have managed to keep him on the books for a while longer.

This is happening and it is great publicity for our game. Amazing that he can walk into international RU despite never playing the game. Speaks wonders for our product.

Would our game ever select one of their players?

Why is it great publicity for the game exactly?

This would be awesome and should totally go ahead

The first ever RL player to play for the barbarians. It shows the talent we produce. Might make people watch the game when its on sky to see if Tomkins is playing.

Even better publicity for Wigan.

Basically you don't like this Saddened. It is Tomkins and Wigan, these are the two things you hate the most in your little world. We know, it's fine. Both will benefit from this, not to mention the shed load of cash we will get for it.

They would never allow it just like the RFL shouldnt. Do you think the NRL/ARL would allow Jonathan Thurston to be picked for the Barbarians?

This does nothing for our game, all it would do would push the Union and Tomkins closer together. It will make Our game look second rate.

Just think we could have some really fat props puffing around for us in the RLWC and let Oz get a world record score. Truly awesome.

NRL don't need the publicity, unfortunately in this country we need as much as we can get.

The Barbarians are meant to represent free flowing exciting rugby union. If they need to use League players to do that, then that's a great compliment to League. It also chips away at any anti-league bias that any union fans may have, in the same way that Jason Robinson's success in union helped demonstrate the quality that comes out of League.

If he freezes his backside off for 80 minutes watching a maul trundle forward, a scrum collapse and a ball being kicked up in the air back and forth, then he might not be so keen to play for a union team in 3 years time.

This is stupid.

We can't win.

If he has a blinder and tears the game to bits, he'll be in yawnion within the 3 year 'contract' he's signed.

If he stinks the place out, we'll get 'he's the best player in SL and he's rubbish'. Or even worse, if he gets crocked 'he's not tough enough for union'.

I hope they don't play him at fullback, the boy can't/won't catch the ball. I guess now he's realised he's not an international rugby league player he fancies having a try at union. Good luck to him.