[urlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/27914844[/url

Been unveiled at the DW at half time tonight anyone bothered.......except Salford Fans obvioulsy who had him nailed on as a devil....

another Union flop to notch on the bedpost I suppose.

Not his biggest fan, but the fewer treizists in union the better.

Three or four years ago all the talk was of the other code stealing our best players. With the exception of Burgess (who IMO has had his head turned by money and will end up regretting it) has the sport missed a player who has switched codes recently?

This year we have had three players return to league and Eastmond is also looking for an exit. If only the Australians could see the potential and importance in test rugby league eh.

Probably was cold stood there watching large blokes lying on the floor before a slim bloke hoofed the ball away.
He's a good strong runner and tough to bring down. Hopefully it puts a message out that the grass isn't always ......

Hopefully he regains his fitness and his RL skills, returns to his RL best and is in contention for England and GB.

It will take a while to get used to playing without pockets sewn into your shorts.

This made me laugh. You silly boy.

This is great news IMO. We have to resign ourselves to loosing some of our best players to Aus RL, while the difference in salary cap is so great, and no one would begrudge any player going over to try to make a name for himself and earn a few extra quid. I know what I would do if someone offered me twice as much money and better working conditions.

Players switching codes is a different matter though. The more that don't make it, the less likely the other code is to offer lucrative contracts to entice players away, welcome back Joel.

Callum Wright made his debut for the Pies v Widnes.
One of our Warringtonian kids that was let down by John Bastion.

Eastmond extended his contract not so long ago.

Maybe some of those fans that stopped watching SL when Tomkins signed for RU will now come back and it will boost RL attendances and TV figures.

hadn't realised he'd left! Must have done really well with the posh lads.

Having a whole month shutdown exactly coordinated with down under in the middle of the season is all it would take.

Aus can play their SOO
NZ, Fiji, Samoa, PNG, C.Isles and Tonga in a 6N
Eng, Ire, Scot, Wales, Fran, Ital in a 6N.

Allowing both leagues to release players to fly across.

So simple to do and then given 10 years we'd have only the money excuse for players to go over.
Plus the extra revenue we'd attract, a no brainer but the insular Aussies are happy being the big fish in a small pond.

It's good that he's back in RL, but it also sums up the lack of talent in the centre for England RU. In the past 12 months they've had a South African, a Samoan, a Rugby League second row, a Rugby League scrum half, and a lad from Huddersfield that started in RL.

Next stop, possibly the best prop currently playing Rugby league.

Say it ain't so

I would be devestated if we lost Hill, my favourite player for Wire and an example to all playing the game!!

Good to see him back in rl. Good player.

i was on about Sam Burgess.

Bloody WUM



My comments still stand though!

Shows how highly we rate Hill

No, in fact Eastmond is due to start against the All Blacks on Saturday and shows that if skilful RL players are not fast-tracked they can make the grade. Tomkins was given his England caps before he was ready for them because he played for a club close to the England set-up, and it stopped his RU career in its tracks. Eastmond has been left to develop at his own pace, and after looking very iffy for a year or two looks much more the finished article.

I will have to take your word for it, as I don't follow union. The last I heard, Eastmond had walked out when they were playing against Sale.

When you consider it took Iestyn Harris all of 11 days to get his first cap in rugby union, I don't really buy into that argument. I find it absolutely staggering that the union lot are salivating at the thought of Burgess playing in their World Cup test side- a man who hasn't played a single game of professional rugby union.

As for Tomkins and the supposedly Wigan biased England RL set up. I'm pretty certain it was Tony Smith who gave him his first cap?

Eastmond is not coming back anytime soon. Playing at centre against the All Blacks and worldcup coming.

Chris Ashton?
Steven Myler?

Never rated Joel Tomkins anyway so not fussed.

Do we miss any of the above? In 2011 people were declaring that the end was nigh and RL would become a feeder sport for union. That hasn't happened, nor will it.

They were saying the same in 2001 when Harris and Henry Paul were leaving.

The reality is most RL players that go over to league don't make it and come back a few years later when it hasn't worked out.

There's more money in RU so the RU clubs or national associations take gambles by throwing a bit of money at a ready made player in league hoping they will find a superstar like Jason Robinson or Sonny Bill Williams. But the game is difficult and most players aren't going to do the things they do in league, in union.

Even Benji Marshall was an expensive RU flop.

There's a lot of expectation about Sam Burgess but who knows what RU will get. They've paid big money for him. They will get a guy who is very strong, very fit and athletic, will have a very professional attitude. They got this with Farrell. But they are getting an RU novice that will have to go back to the drawing board and learn a new game whilst the expectation will be on him to be a superstar.