It may or may not have been mentioned in this thread, but it shows how desperate rugby union are.

The Barbarians are the best of the best, the cream of the union crop. If they can't fill that team with their own talent and need to look at the more athletic, mature brother in rugby league then so be it.

It speaks more about their game than it does ours - we know ours is better, and now they do too.

Sam must be ing himself - he's got nothing to lose.

You don't know what you are talking about. The Barbarians are not 'the best of the best, the cream of the union crop' at all.

They are just an invitation side put together to play one off matches and traditionally they include an uncapped player.

Thats not why they are picking him. They are trying to make his head turn.

Compare the RFL and Wigan's reponse to the NRL when Benji was offered $1m to play Union in Japan during off-season couple years ago

Now thats leadership. Thats an orginisation which doesnt see itself as little brother to the Union or the AFL.

Isn't it. Makes the RFL look ridiculous.

I just don't understand the apathy from the Wigan fans. They refuse to see the negatives in their owner whoring the club round Rugby Union suitors.

It's not the fact that Tomkins is playing the match that grates on me, it's the sugar coated grovelling tone Leneghan takes and the RFL's response was just incredible really. Taking it as a compliment and getting all excited about it was pathetic. We shouldn't be making it so easy for Union to succeed IMO.

Wigan are behaving like a newly interned prisoner who just became the bitch of the toughest gangster on the landing; they may be afforded some measure of protection, but they're still going to get painfully bummed on a regular basis.

The latest indignity appears to be that Master Tomkins (S) can now do what the love he pleases, including turning out for the Barbarians only one week after a super-special deal was announced, preventing him from talking to RU clubs. Will he be chaperoned during the build-up and on match day, to ensure he keeps his end up?

Who cares. Sam Tomkins and his flirtations with RU are a symptom, not a cause, not a death sentence. A symptom.

Stopping Tomkins playing in this match wont address the reasons his brother has left, and wont address the reasons Tomkins is so open to the idea.

if we address those reasons players like Tomkins will have no reason to be looking enviously at their RU counterparts.

I think its going to make a good viewing on Saturday seeing Sam play for the Barbarians.

Looking forward to it.

At least he will be wearing Wigan's socks. Or do the Barbarians still do that club sock business?

You wear your countries socks normally so he may well play in Wigan's

Ba-ba games are traditionally hard fought with a fair few young & upcoming players but the intensity is just not that of a full international. They have always been a release of the shackles type game in terms of throwing the ball about, defenders don't go OTT in their efforts so loads of points are usually scored. It IS an exhibition match so with the result not massively important expect lots of open passages of play which Sam might well expose if played in the right position.

Nope, but it might have stopped us looking like little b*tches who jump at the chance to roll out red carpets all the way to Twickers for our brightest young stars.

Pretty sure you wear your club socks?

Anyway, lots of paranoid bitching and wailing on this thread. So Sam got a call, "Hi Sam, RFU here, would you like to play for the Baa-Baas in a charity match against Australia?". He probably spoke to Wayne/IL and said yes. Simple as that.

It's a one-off charity game. For those who don't understand these things, Sam has just signed a big contract with Wigan. You might say "contracts don't count for anything" but what it does mean is that in the last few weeks he's committed himself to Wigan (albeit thanks to Saracens knocking at the door with a big cheque), and also - more crucially - it means that anyone wanting him will now probably have to pay millions.

Would anyone care half as much if Andy Lynch or Keith Mason or Danny Brough or Jonny Lomax had been invited and decided to give it a crack? No. We know Wigan have recently had contact with the RFU/Saracens - christ, they've just announced a partnership with Saracens! - so why should this come as any surprise?

If Sam doesn't perform, nothing lost. If he tears the game apart you might just get some kids wondering, "what's this Rugby League all about if they've got players like that?" How one lad playing a stint in a charity game is detrimental to the whole of RL I don't know. He'll still be back at pre-season and playing on a cold night at Hull KR in January. Business as usual.

RL fans being whiney paranoid tarts. Some things never change.

The important thing is, whichever decision is taken regarding him playing, is that the RFL have conviction and work to strengthen our game.

So, either they show the commitment the the ARL guy Gallop had in protecting our sport, or (assuming Sam rips it up) use it as a PR stunt and roll out a few adverts for Superleague playing on the fact our players are head and shoulders above when it come to excitment.

Or....

Give him a brown paper bag of cash to persued him to look as as possible, which will help put any union club off bothering with league converts?

RFU beat us to it mate. His value must have taken a nose-dive after last weekend

Those sneaky barstewards.

I just don't get Wigan fans. Claim to be the most passionate, form this ultras movement, then are gleefully happy when their main star is being whored around Union.

On the Wigan forum on here they are discussing where Wigan RU will be based and how many season tickets they can shift. They are also gleefully posting their ideas of how the top flight in Union will look when Wigan are in it, post the demise of RL...

Point out anyone who's gleefully happy about it? I'd rather he wasn't playing, more from an injury risk perspective than anything, but he is and I'll probably watch. I expect the range of emotions amongst Wigan fans goes from anger to a vague interest - I doubt any are 'gleefully happy' about it. As for the 'Wigan RU' thread, that's simply speculation following recent developments. Anyone with half a brain can see RU in Wigan would not succeed.

As for the Saracens partnership, I know you're mainly trolling and I'm sure you can actually see the benefits to both clubs, whether you agree with it or not. You're entitled not to like it, but please don't play stupid.

Calm down dear, it's only an exhibition game. Sam will be back to work at Wigan next week as usual and we all know you're a closet Sam lover.

Sam has reiterated in an interview this morning that he will be at Wigan for a minimum of three years and possibly five.

Once people get their heads around this they should be able to see the potential opportunities of having the (mainly union) media help to promote one of our brightest stars whilst still playing RL.

If he plays poorly on Saturday then maybe they start to lose interest in him. If he has a stormer then Wigan and RL can promote our game using one of the most talked about rugby players in the country. I think Wigan's aim is to build their brand to a wider audience, but to do that we need national publicity on a scale that we haven't had before.

There is a saying in business that if you always do what you've always done you will always get what you have always got - In the case of RL this is a paucity of national publicity despite having a fantastic product. Maybe the time has come for some radical thinking.

But just imagine for a second he has a blinder. Scores a wonder try. People aren't going to watch Wigan, or Rugby League, or Super League in general because of that. All it will do is make the RFU push harder to sign him.

All this 'it's good publicity' stuff is a nonsense. We've seen scores of Union players play League. Did anyone on here go and watch a game of Union because Gareth Thomas joined Crusaders?

If anything, the people most likely to benefit from this venture are the North West based Union sides. People will watch the Barbarians game, think Union is open and entertaining and potentially go and watch them.

First of all, what an honour for Sam. To be picked by the Barbarians and be seen by hundreds of millions of people around the globe, must be the highlight of his short career so far. Only a union world cup win with england in 2015 would be a greater achievement in his career.

I think its a good move for Sam personally. Its obvious hes off in 3 years so hes ready for the 2015 Rugby world cup so this gives him a taste of whats to come. It also gives RL exposure as the hundreds of millions of people around the globe, watching the game will be like "whos that scrawny kid at fullback?" so then these people will find out there is another code of rugby around. By allowing Sam to play in this game, Ian Leneghan has done more marketing for the game of Rugby league than the rfl have done in 20 years and he should be applauded for this.

A spot on answer

Surely he was being sarcastic?

Great post. I do not mean it in a sarcastic way at all

What utter crap!! Re-read the thread again, it's 50 50 at the moment.