Mr Lenegan, why don't you just rebrand WWRLFC to WWRUFC.

Seems a very strange decision and one I wouldn't be happy about at Warrington. I would be peeved if one of Warringtons players went off to play a game of Union like this.

Is Lenegan toying with the idea of changing the code of the team, what with the link up with Saracens? Preparing for the Hybrid Game?

I agree. Ever since RU went full time the Barbarian's have struggled to justify their existence in the sport. National teams started to field weakened sides against them and there has been controversy in RU about players who ought to be resting (southern hemisphere players at this time of year) taking part.

If people bothered to look all the playing objections as to why Sam ought not to be playing are often made as to why RU players ought to decline the invitation as well.

What Sam playing will achieve is raise the profile of a flagging RU tradition and the RU types must think that is great. It is not an international but it is a friendly from a bygone era that lost its shine quite some time ago and IL is making it out as if this is some great big deal. He has been had if you ask me.

Isn't this game on Saturday a charity event?

Shakes head in disbelief..!

The club have not only resigned themselves to lose their best young players to RU, we're now practically handing them gift wrapped on a "try before you buy" scheme now" !!

Spot on. I wonder how many of these "whats the problem with it" people on here still feel the same should Sam suffer a serious injury, and before anyone starts on the "well he is insured" malarky, its not like home insurance...new for old, if he's injured then he could be out for the season and as i season ticket holder i feel that the Wigan board allowing this to happen is ludicrous to put it mildly.

That seem's to be most peoples view against it, lets just wrap him up in cotton wool in a padded room until the season starts.....



Wigan may not have much to gain by doing this, but what do they have to lose? The possibility of him getting a long term injury is a slight concern but if that where to happen, i have no doubt he will be insured in such a way that if he where not able to play for wigan as a result of an injury picked up playing another sport.. wigan wouldn't lose out financially atleast. He'd be missed on the field of course, but were all talking hypothetically. Ian Leneghan won't be that stupid.

People are making a massive deal out of this just because it is union. Like it or not. There's a big chance that sam may decide in 3 years time that he wants to go to union, one match wont exactly change things.

If the rfl decided to arrange a similar one off barbarians v aussies match or similar in the off season, no one would be crying about it, and i don't see what the difference is here. Just because it's a different sport doesn't mean he shouldn't be allowed to bloody play a one off match in our off season!.. I'll have a problem with it if he starts missing wigan games in the middle of a season to go playing rah rah, then and only then will it become a problem.


where is all this try before you buy nonsense coming from?? Its a one off charity event for christs sake!

Then you would be correct IMO, as usual, Wigan fans just want something and someone to moan at.

Maybe he's not a bitter RL fan who hates everything Union does..Maybe his only thought was the unique experience thats been offered to him..maybe he was to honoured to be the first RL player to be asked he felt he couldn't turn it down.

Who knows and frankly who cares..like i said,until IL and Sam are made out to be liars about his new contract then im not bouncing off any walls and calling for a linching .

He could have got injured playing in the Four nations, he could get injured in training for Wigan. The RFU will insure him, it will be part of the deal that he plays.

100% Spot on.

If people aren't moaning that the kit is a disgrace, not having our own stadium is a disgrace, our players deciding they want to go elsewhere... is a disgrace, WTF is Ian Lenghan supposed to do? It is impossible to keep everyone happy. And even being in the great position we are now in compared to 5 years ago, a lot in part because of what Leneghan has done since he came here. He his still copping undeserved flack.

If he thought he had it bad before, every nob element of every team will boo him now.

There is a charitable trust associated with the Barbarians club. It main aim is to give money to aid the development of RU around the world but it also makes donations to worthy causes such as disaster relief.

I wonder if the charitable trust will donate some money to help the development of RL because Sam will have played? I won't hold my breath.

all this "he could get injured" is a load of cobblers. he could get injured at home, at asda or wherevert he hell he decides to go when hes not playing or training

hes got an opportunity to show how good RL players are and yes, it may lead to a move to union but thats HIS decision to make in 3 years time

who knows, some of the rah rah fans might watch him on sat and think "you know what, there may be something in this RL lark, maybe we should have a butchers eh chaps"

i cant think of a better advert for our sport than having one of the best players in our code being selected to play an internationala match against the Aussies, live on TV and in front of 80K fans

go on Sam, show them how good RL actually is and make then realise that their form of rugby is dull dull dull

Didn't he say he doesn't watch Union as it's boring? People need to realise golden boy Sam cares more about him self than Wigan.

Well, lets just bend over and do whatever union ask, and promote their fixtures for them, because that's what Sam wants to do.

Who cares how it looks for our sport that we have an incredibly hard time trying to get taken seriously, all that matters is Sam Tomkins and chairmen releasing press statements that make out a RU friendly to be a bigger deal than playing for England in a 4N final.

Of course, I'm sure everybody's opinion would be identical if Saints were announcing tie ups with RU clubs and sending players out to play in RU games with fanfare statements saying what wonderful big stages union friendlies are and how we don't hesitate to allow our players such marvellous experiences.

prolly not

but maybe Sams appearance might raise a bit more cash for the disaster relief funds they help out which i think is slightly more important, dont you?

Which Rugby club as he just recently signed a deal with ?

so f***ing what!

do you care more about yourself than the company work for? im willing to bet my house that you do

The union NZ halfback, his name escapes me is the biggest name in the sport (i think) invite him to play in the Exiles game, just to gauge a response, or Sonny Bill as a one off.

Dan Carter

He could fall off a mountain if he went mountaineering as well and the fact he might be insured against it is irrelevant because the club would not allow him to do it. It will be in his contract he can't do stuff that could result in injury and thus make him unavailable for Wigan. This should have been knocked back for that very reason.

The fact he will be insured is no compensation to the club or the fans if he is unavailable due to injury.

He has no need to play this game and so no need to risk injury. Comparing this to possible injury in the 4 nations is a ridiculous argument.

Yeah we'll ask dan carter to fly half way around the world at probably the same time canterbury are playing.

yep i cant see any problem with that

Sonny Bill then

I'm a student to start with but if a company was paying me £300,000 a year and I was their top earner I would certainly show some commitment and loyalty to the people paying my wages.