Do any us believe there is a chance we could sign Sam burgess? My neighbour used to be a scout for the wire and told me how we could have signed him on a junior contract/y t s type deal for 80 quid a week a few years back but Simon didn't want to do any deal in an underhanded way. Credit to Simon and his morals but it's fair to say Sam won't be on 80 quid a week for his next club

Incisive...I do hope you stay and offer further worthwhile contributions.

If only I had a "neighbour who used to be a scout for the Wire".

I have a neighbour whose cat makes "full use" of my garden.

Tbh i would not be surprised if Sam does leave Barth that he would go back to Oz where by all accounts he has a good relationship with the club & a totally different lifestyle to the UK. Who knows, at the end of his rugby career, he could be wowing cinema audiences in a Russell Crowe epic.

A very good article on Sam by Oliver Holt MoS Fairly and squarely behind Sam Burgess, laying not just the world cup fiasco but Unions stagnation at the RFU door, a good honest article, tells it as he sees it.

Agree it was a more honest assessment of what has gone on with Sam and his mismanagement at club and national level

www.zerotackle.com/nrl/burgess-t ... ion-19570/

www.zerotackle.com/nrl/burgess-t ... ion-19570/

Oliver Holts article was superb. And then I read in the Times today that Sam is making a big mistake if he goes back now. They just don't get it. A man being groomed at flanker at Bath is thrown in to the national team at centre when he hasn't even had time to learn the game properly. Lancaster and Farrell are the real culprits where Sam is concerned.

Leeds have confirmed their interest. www.sportinglife.com/rugby-leagu ... am-burgess

Leeds have confirmed their interest. www.sportinglife.com/rugby-leagu ... am-burgess

Sam Burgess will go back to South Sydney if he comes back to league.

End of.

You are hoping and praying!

You can smell the fear.

Not fear.

Cut through all the paper talk and the Leeds interest and smell the coffee.

Leeds interest going public is just PR, anyone that can afford him wants him.

I'm sure Moran and Smith are keen too but he won't be in SL, i doubt he'll ever come back, his family all live in Aus, his girlfriend is Australian, he'll retire over there, i'd stake any reputation i ever have on that.

That didn't seem to stop him moving to Bath where he planned to be for another 2 years...

Well his hands would have been tied a little in that respect.

Part of the draw to Union was representing England and they have the arrogant ruling of if you don't play in England you don't play for England.

Quite correct and he might need a bolt hole just for a year before returning to Australia?

it isn't arrogant its a good idea....

Imagine if we could pay our International players a fortune for playing for England, and imagine if the international selection was the peak of a players career and that was their career goal ....?

We would have James Graham, all three Burgess brothers, Gareth Widdop, Mike Cooper and Jack Reed all playing in Superleague.

we don't... it isn't..... and they're not...... and our comp is poorer for it.

Don't the Aussies have a similar idea by not picking players based in SL ? No wonder we don't get any Aussie superstars over here.

Whilst I agree with the general theme of your post, that it would be great to be able to tempt/keep the best players here, there is a major difference in how elite players are played and paid between the two codes and the significance given to club v international rugby.

Sure it's not quite as bad as cricket where 'Lancashire's' Jimmy Anderson plays virtually all of his cricket for England, but, in RU the international team is the one that the whole sport is geared up for and generates the cash to boot if you pardon the pun. If England had gone further how many games would a Mike Brown have played for Harlequins this year, not many, if any?

I'm not a real follower, but, Sale always seem to pick up when the 6 Nations is on, whilst the top teams lose most of their playing staff, is that good for the comp?

It will be a long haul to turn 'our' fortunes around, especially with only three competitive international teams. A regular calendar of competitions and tours would be a start and I would love the WCC to become a 'Champions League' type club competition with real prize money and prestige, instead of some half baked notion when there seems to be no strict understanding of the qualification, sorry invitation process and a need for the participating club to fork out a bond to cover the cost of a game against anyone from the southern hemisphere that can be bothered to interrupt their pre season

Sam has left Bath and is rejoining Souths according to the BBC

Just got it on the main news text, leaves with immediate effect can't say I blame him.

I thought he was going to Leeds to join up with Darryl Clark. ...? ? ? ?

Does immediate effect mean we'll see him play the last game against NZ?