Definitely good to see such a well known figure at the game, can only help with publicity. Also, Wrote on his twitter 'well...Wigan Warriors just dismantled Leeds Rhinos! Went into the changing room after, what an atmosphere! I should have filmed it! Inspired'

Remember after the Grand Final? There were several United players with the Wigan team after the match. Scholes, Keane, Giggs and Butt were at the DW watching us a few years back too weren't they?

Kudos on Twitter from Sir Ian Botham, Lee Westwood and Bradley Wiggins. Time that the RFL used these big big names to publicise us a bit.

Walked past him before the game and it's great to see him striking up a bond with a player like Sam Tomkins. Sam is a genius and should be rubbing shoulders with these people.

Kris Rads was taking care of him.

Sam Tomkins is always tweeting and offering him tickets.Never offers me any or the real fans.

It's not like he can't afford 'em either

Botham completely owned some Leeds fans on Twitter tonight, what a bloke!

Wish someone would make a behind the scenes film of this season like the Lions down under dvd. Would be amazing to watch the pre and post match Shaun Wane speeches

even Andi Peters was tweeting about Wigan tonight

Ferdinand comparing Sam to Messi.

Check out Ian Botham, Rio and Lee Westwoods twitters, seems like we have a strong celebrity following

always a positive thing and awesome for the game of Rugby league

the sad thing about this is that Rio will earn more than a whole rugby team in about 6 months, but thats the way it is in this country

for me RL is the best sport in the world but we'll never get the recognition or the players the money they deserve

And I'm glad, money would ruin this sport like it's ruined football.

That's an interesting point !

Legends like Alex Murphy argue that Rugby players are well paid (well the one's at the top are) but the amounts doled out to footie players is obscene. Mind you, they charge £70 to watch a match at some footie games. You can't take families to the footie (even if I wanted).

That's way out of the pockets of most ordinary people.

wouldn't want the money thats involved with football

just the players to get the financial recognition that the sport deserves

i know this leads into salary cap arguements and clubs being able to pay the players etc etc, but it just frustrates me to see a footballer rolling around on the floor with a broken finger nails whilst RL players knock lumps out of each other for peanuts in comparison

Lets over some "celebrities" liking RL over twitter.

What does he think about the wages of the players who are not at the top?

I reckon if we doubled the salary cap and so could pay several to players £250K salaries and players like Charnley and Farrell who are first team regulars but not in that bracket £100K that would be about right and far removed from the obscene salaries of soccer. I also reckon the like of those two are probably on pretty low wages anyway. Never mind Rio I bet the Wigan Athletic players earn more in a month than they do for a season.

I have always argued ever since the sport went full time across the board you have to be prepared to pay for it. I don't think RL does and I reckon we get the sport on the cheap.

Totally agree, Dave. But the majority of us seem to have been brainwashed - mainly by the Yorkshire Mafia in my opinion - into thinking that getting this level of entertainment for very little is some kind of entitlement, and that players who expect more and clubs who would pay more if they were allowed to, have committed a form of heresy.

It's not just the Yorkshire Mafia. I have been shocked in the past that several Saints fans have adopted the attitude that if players aren't happy to play for relative peanuts they can leave and we as a sport can replace them no bother. Absolutely no consideration that it is wrong in principle to get away with paying wages like this in the first place. The fans in question rarely post on here any more thank God.

It is not a salary cap argument either. If we have to have a cap fine but the idea it's right to be paying pro sportsman as little as we have to do is not on. It wouldn't surprise me if some of our more junior players who get regular first team games will be claiming tax credits given their salaries.

Ferdinand is no fool. He knows top athletes when he sees them. He clearly has a lot of respect for our players as we need to be just as fit as footballers while taking all the impact that rugby players need to. Rio must be wondering how rugby players do it.

Publicise RL or just arrogant Wigan?

Someone is a little upset that Wigan are dominating aren't they??

Have you never heard the [uold[/u maxim "When Wigan RL prospers, rugby league prospers."?

Presumably Rooney, for some strange reason a Leeds fan, is silent this weekend.