has there ever been a bigger commodity than sam in rugby league? he's profile has become bigger than a lot of clubs in super league. I have just been checking out he's official website and its making me wonder why more players don't have the same profile or a similar profile? Its a true testament to he's work rate no doubt doing all the shows, reporting, endorsements, adverts and playing full time is a very busy schedule. The salary cap exemption made for him wasn't wasted on him thats for sure.

Not to sure about him interviewing rusty tho it would be very easy for him to sway Tomkins like he did with Burgess

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I don't care where Tomkins plays as long as he's still playing league come 2015. The guy will be a superstar and household name in Oz if he goes over there. We need a good World Cup for him and England to raise his profile over here. Felt quite proud that a local Wigan lad has come so far he's interviewing Crowe on the red carpet - Crowe obviously rates him very highly...

He is a truly great player and a great guy, he comes to Leigh games and always has time for the young fans, he chats with them and signs autograph's and has banter with the adults, top bloke and player.

..

Looks like he's off to South's.. Fair play, if Russell Crowe wants you, you can't lose.

Souths do not need a fullback or half back.

Thats not how it appeared to me. Crowe said something like "if you're going to join the NRL dont go to a team who isnt in Australia"

Just how it looked to me.... I'm sure most clubs will have contacted Sam or his agent.. Would be naive to think otherwise..

As I said a couple of years ago, the guy is a "once in a generation" player.

I compared him to being up there with Hanley then and I don't think that is inappropriate.

Talented, competitive and comes over as a really nice guy.

See how he goes in the NRL and a few more tests before rating him alongside Hanley.

New Zealand Warriors.

Gold Coast Titans.

Is this a name the NRL team game I have stumbled into?

Spot on so I’ve heard its New Zealand Warriors, but if it’s just cash that’s really making him go then I blame the RFL. He is the biggest draw in our game, and love him or hate him he does get a great deal of publicity for the sport. The RFL should have made a special case for him in regards cash. I don’t believe all this when they say they want a new challenge, or to improve their game. No, for me its cash and most would go in their position. After all they’re not top footballers they have got to make money when they can. I would like him to stay here, but I’d sooner him go there than to go to RU, the dark side!

The RFL have changed the rules to accommodate Sam's £300,000 a year wage, add on sky money and other streams of income and it's a very competitive wage. However the NZ Warriors are rumoured to be offering Sam more than twice his current contract, so how far do the RFL go?

As far as they need to. We can't afford to lose him from the game.

We need to be signing their best talent not the other way around.

Rugby League needs to go on the offensive. Let Koukash, Moran and the rest splash out on the worlds top talent, it will be worth it in the long run with the tv money, sponsors and fans it will bring in if the big clubs are not held back like they are right now.

If the RFL let Sam go then they are practically waving the white flag for letting this happen again and again in the future.

I agree with you there, our salary cap needs to at least be on a par with the NRL then we may start to attract the best players instead of the majority of them being on the decline when they come over.

Unrealistic unfortunately. We don't have the cash in the sport to match the Aussies and our own chairman is leading the campaign to limit players' earnings as far as I can see.

I thought the impetus for this move was the club, not Tomkins, the RFL and sky to a certain extent have done as much as possible to keep Sam in the game, but if we are talking about trebling a salary we cant get near that, there just isnt the cash in the game. But at the end of the day, he has the much vaunted clause that he cant talk to teams till next year, so unless the club are pushing it through............

how does it follow that splashing the cash will have sponsors and fans flocking to the game, we cant get a title sponsor now, there is way more to fix with the game first before we start thinking about scrapping the salary cap and letting clubs spend as much as they want, we have been there before, it didnt work!

where is the cash going to come from?

Perhaps if chairman were allowed to inject the money they want to (koukash, Pearson, Moran etc) then good players come across and crowds/revenue picks up? I know it's a potential risk but as they say you have to speculate to accumulate

If the rumours about Salford are true, KouKash is borrowing the money to prop up salford, he isnt using his own, how sure are we that Moran Pearson actually want to spend thier own money on rudby club, we cant rely on sugar daddies.

most sports outside the pemiershiop have, or are looking at some kind of bugetry control, the money just isnt there anymore unless you are man u

I've heard/read some rather interesting things about Koukash and how he's funding Salford, the rugby league Roman Abramovich image he has created seems to me like a facade.

Wigan did this in the 90s, and by all accounts, nearly bankrupted the club.

Whilst it will be bad for SL when Tomkins signs for NZW as was almost pointed out to all watching Boots N All last night.
There is nothing we can do to prevent it happening.
We simply do not have the money or the sponsorship to compete in Australia.
It was sad to see Sam Burgess and his brothers go.
But we then saw the likes of Hill, Walmsley, Farrell and others come through the ranks into our game.
You guys have your fair share of young talent so we must move on and develop our own home grown players and forget about competing with the money being offered by clubs in Australia.
I`m sure there will be one or two fringe players in Australia wanting to come here to prove themselves especially when they lose their place to the English players going over there.
SL will always breed some great players into our game.

Couldn't agree more , fabulous player that he is , he has along way to go to be compared to the Pearl .