Incredible amount of publicity generated. He got in one day more publicity in this country than he's had in his entire career. The difference in levels of coverage between the two codes is hardly fair but Union provides an international scene which League can't offer at the minute. Israel Folau is a classic example: League is bigger in Oz than Union, but because of the better international scene it was worthwhile for him to jump ship.

Sam Burgess will be back in the NRL for the start of the 2016 season - I'd put my house on it. This is the worst thought out most ill conceived transfer in the history of Professional Rugby Union.

Sam hasn't played the game, he is RL through and through. Looking at the interviews prior to the GF, he is going for an easy life. He fancies a bit of lower intensity sport for a while with the possibility of some glory and plenty of dosh.

But the thing is - learning a completely new game in a matter of months in order to get in the World Cup squad will be next to impossible. He won't get in the Bath team for starters let alone the England squad. They don't even know where to play him!

The thing is it'll turn out to be good for us. This car crash in the making will put Union off raiding our game for the foreseeable future.

I'd be interested in the views of anyone who actually knows something about Union (I admit I barely watch it). Does anyone disagree with me - do you think he will be successful - and why?

To add to the money there is also the comfort in knowing that League will roll out the red carpet if Union does not quite work out for them.

How many players would make the switch if going back to league was not an option?

I don't blame players for looking after themselves but its frustrating from a supporters point of view.

I have watched Union all my life and got into League 12/13 years ago when I moved to Wigan and much prefer league. The main reason why most league players don't have the impact of say Jason Robinson/Chris Ashton who in my opinion are the only players to successfully make the switch is down to space and time. Robinson/Ashton went into the same positions in RU as they played RL and that allowed them time and space. The likes of Farrell, Tomkins, Harris etc all went into positions on the gain line where they have no space or time. In RL you get 10meteres all the time every time in RU the hindmost foot. I am not convinced Burgess will make an impact at centre, and I have never understood this mentality that second rowers in league make good centres.... they are generally not quick enough nor have soft enough hands to craft openings. Time will tell

Can someone put a marker on this post for reference in 12-18 months' time please (talk about setting yourself up for a battering

).
I don't see any reason he won't get into the Baarth team (as prop?), but I'd be amazed if he got anywhere near the England squad on merit (I suspect they might draft him in as some publicity gimmick regardless of whether he's ready though).
The problem he's got is that he's got to buck the trend, there's only Jason Robinson who's made the switch successfully - Ashton hasn't really pulled up trees lately & his early promise seems to have gone. Plus there's plenty of existing talent & Lancaster isn't exactly scratching around trying to pull a squad together.

That's interesting. I can't see him playing in the forwards because he'd have to learn a completely new set of skills, so it must be the backs. But as you say, he probably isn't quick enough.

Joel Tomkins' experience is evidence that it can work (to an extent). Joel was good enough to be picked for the national team, and that took some doing. But I don't think he was considered an option for the World Cup, hence his return to us. I don't think he'd have come back otherwise.

Do you think Sam has a realistic chance of success?

Ashton has more tries for England than any other active player, and all of the other so called flops played several times for England. Granted, none reached Robinson levels, but I'd hardly call selection for England being a flop.

Are you serious - as a prop???



Although I don't watch union much, it can't have changed that much since I played at school. Not in a million years will SB be played at prop.

As for Burgess, who knows? He'll certainly have a much lower workload in terms of runs and tackles. He'll do well to achieve half as many of either as he does for Souths.

I'm not convinced his game is really suited to Union. In attack, he's largely all about punching holes and offloading. There isn't much of a passing or kicking game I don't think. Can his upward style of running work with both less room to build up speed, and with the defence contesting the ball on the floor? I suppose time will tell.

In defence, Union seem much more squeamish over tackling, so he might need to adjust his style a bit. It also seems less about the contact itself as in either forcing a turnover on the ground or slowing the ball down. Richie McCaw is probably the best defender in the world for that reason, yet you rarely see him giving anyone a big tackle.

I'd love to see him flourish as he's an incredible player with a fantastic mentality. Heck, he may do it through sheer force of personality, but there's one game that he's perfectly suited to, and that's League. I can see him perhaps being an impact sub from the bench in the same way SBW was.

What I meant was that he's not talked about in the same reverence as Robinson still is & although a couple of dozen tries for England isn't exactly shabby, I'm not sure his stock is or was ever that high. If it weren't for the swan-dives would he have been so beloved by the yawnion pundits?
Erm..

I'd put that then corrected myself without actually editing the post. You're right, I think England might want him thrown in at wing or centre, but I read somewhere that Bath have other ideas (can't remember what - & I generally lose the will to live thinking about union too long).

It may have been this quote from the BBC site -

Burgess, a forward in league, is expected to play at centre once he settles into life at the Recreation Ground, but is open to alternatives.

"I really don't have a clue," he added.

"I'll get there and get in to training and we'll see what's best." -

I also saw something with Mike Ford suggesting that they hadn't decided yet where to play him. And looking at Sam's quote it seems that things are far from clear. They have our prized asset and they haven't a clue what to do with him. Again - he'll be back in time for the 2016 season, much richer and probably much wiser too. I think it will also deter others from going, as I hope Joel's experience has deterred Sam Tomkins from thinking that he could do it.

Why would Bath play him centre when they already have the 2 centres who are shoe ins for the world cup, including Eastmond who is absolutely tearing it up in union now.

Regards

King James

Where do you think they'll play him or do you think he'll struggle to get a game?

It'd probably make sense to use him as an impact sub to be honest, but given the money they've spent and the hoohaa his signing has generated, I can't see them doing that.

He could redefine the job of a number 8. Don't waste energy in rucks and mauls but operate out in the centre channels when attacking, and defend on the inside of the stand off to smash the runners that come round the corner. As an extra back he won't be relied on for long passes and kicking, the 10, 12 and 15 can do that. With somebody like Brown following him then his offloads could work well. When it comes to big hits in defence I don't think they will be as effective as they are in League. Not on forwards anyway. The running style close to the ruck tends to be stooped over leading with the head and shoulders and prepared to go to ground in the best position to recycle the ball. Also some of the front five will be a lot heavier than league forwards and simple physics will negate some of the effects of the big hit. FYI I have played both and enjoy watching both. But would chose League to play or watch every time.

The publicity RU has produced from the acquisition of Sam Burgess has proved once again the saying “if you polish a turd it’s still a turd” is utter b*llocks!! and does not apply to RU. The brainwashed sheep who were indoctrinated from birth, and upper-class twits who run the game and the country will IMO always have the upper hand over our sport when it comes to the media, no matter how much we rant and rage about the injustice. They know what works in life, power and money. You can see it for yourself in the only successful attack on their power that the working classes ever had “football” Look what’s happening to that now at the top flight! The working classes are slowly being priced off the terraces.

Had a jaw dropping moment talking to my boss, who went to Public school... We did "games" on a Thursday afternoon.... They had "games" EVERY AFTERNOON... I had to ask him to repeat it. Heard a stat last week, happy to be corrected, that 46% of 2012 Olympic medallist, were public school educated.

So that means that more than half the top performers went to a Comp - although the exact numbers do depend on who you ask (lies, damned lies & statistics etc)
[urlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/9449422/An-Olympic-education-schools-producing-Team-GB-Olympians.html[/url

I'll also lump the club in missing the point too after this afternoon's announcement that we're playing Skolars again next year [iON A FRIDAY AT 2PM[/i WTF ?!


I'd actually like to go to this, but why a Friday? I've a job to do 200 miles north. Can't exactly take an extended lunch to trot down there (even if I wangled a meeting in the London office). It's also a school day, I thought RL in London was trying to get the kids involved?

Talk about a blown opportunity.

Point being, that a much smaller percentage of the population go to Public School...

It's being played in the square mile, so presumably an attempt to attract investors and corporate viewers rather than being aimed at regular fans.

A good idea if it pays off.

Yep. Exactly the same last year.

The same as last year yes, but as a day out to have a look at some of the younglings I'd actually like to have an option if you please. No problem trying to attract the corporates (also probably why Farrell is the guest speaker at the dinner - to appeal to the rah-rahs), but are there any figures from last year's event to back up the efficacy of this approach? Given that it's been going on between Broncos & Skolars for some years, has anything actually come from this "networking" attempt (sorry - hate that term).

It's actually more an indictment of the state of sport in Comps. The Bitch Thatcher started the wholesale sell-off of school land & her lick-spittle, Major carried it on with Blair & Brown not doing anything to reverse the problem.
The only places left that can conceivably grow our future elite athletes [iare [/ithe fee-paying schools, so it's no surprise (nor a problem, IMO) that a disproportionate number come from that direction.
Until we stop leaning so far towards academic subjects in curricula & cater for those people who are never going to remember Pythagoras' theorem let alone revel in Dickens or Maxine Peake as Hamlet (she was fab, by the way), then the demise of sport in state schools will continue until it crosses the point of no return. If it hasn't already.

I'm sure there'll be other opportunities for you.