I'm well aware what he did last season, i'm seeing some South fans already claiming we'd be better off without him. Most of these wits want Sandow back.

Burgess is irreplaceable to souths.

Don't worry, all we need to do is lower the cap a bit more, then Wakefield and Cas will 'catch up' - the league will be ultra-competitive and then fans and sponsors will flock back to the game and we can buy all the talent back again. (C) Nigel Wood / SL / RFL

You just don't get it!

Burgess is leaving the NRL precisely because RU is a much bigger deal internationally than RL. Ditto SBW. The reason RU is much bigger even though it is less attractive to watch is because it is played seriously in more countries than RL. This is in part due to the fact that RL in the northern hemisphere has been dragged down into the economic gutter by the mentally challenged men in charge of the RFL who cannot grasp how to grow the game.

It is Wood who has stymied Richard Lewis's attempts to build up the game in France, --- ever since Lewis became head of Sports England and only a part time Chairman of the RFL. Wood won't allow Toulouse into the top tier of SL until they bring a TV contract equal to Sky's proportion for 2 clubs. We know that France cannot develop with only one SL club. Wood does not give a damn. For Wood it is all about balancing the books today and tomorrow, which he cannot do because he has a parochial regional competition for sale. Wood cannot think long term. He is a petty accountant with a typical accountant's conservatism and risk avoidance mentality. Businesses don't grow and flourish with such people in control.

Barwick is an empty suit who hasn't expressed a single new idea since he took over as Chairman.

The Hetheringtons are bum kissers only interested in retaining their little Yorkshire fiefdoms.

We have lost a great player to a much higher profile RU partly because RL in the UK is a tiny enterprise run by selfish men and dunces.

Nice angle Jean. That'll reel a few in.

Can't understand why Burgess would be lured by the prospect of playing international Rugby Union when he's got a 4N tournament to look forward to on dates, times and venues yet to be determined because they are nothing more than an off-season afterthought.

So the England RU backline in 2015 could be.

10. Owen Farrell
11. Kyle Eastmond
12. Sam Burgess
13. Joel Tomkins
14. Chris Ashton

Want to bring Jason Robinson and Henry Paul back too?

Still, this isn't the place to bash Union. Although, it does say a lot about our inability to keep players?

The odd thing for me however is, why Burgess? I simply can't see him being a success. Joel Tomkins is by far the better natural athlete, but he has struggled at times to grasp the finer concepts of Union. Why would Burgess be any better? His skillset is not suited to RU.

With Manu Tuilagi as England's battering ram, what would Burgess offer to England RU? Yes he can offload, but his offloads are totally different in style to Sonny Bill Williams.

Burgess has no natural RU position, and if they do sign him, I just think it will be a bad fit for everyone.

Looks like Lee Smith has signed for Newcastle RU as well, were doooooooomed.

Seriously though didn't Lee already try this switching code thing once already with not much success!

Hard to argue with that. One of the saddest arguments we get nowadays is that Union is now SO far ahead, we may as well just give up and carry on being run by the same clowns. Growing League to where it needs to be (which is not about 'beating' Union but simply delivering the growth that the sport is fundamentally capable of and deserves), is a huge challenge. The challenge has been made much bigger by the years of idiotic leadership and the failure to grasp the nature of both the threats and the opportunities in the success of Union over the past 20 years. It's no good coming up with random suggestions - before any of that, we need capable, strong, and visionary leaders.

I've said the same thing. SB is a class act but a class act in RL. I can't see him fitting into an RU position easily or quickly. His style of play just isn't suited to RU and I feel he would be wasted at inside/outside centre or #8.

For himself and his already well built reputation he must stay in RL.

£500,000 fee being mentioned with the RFU funding some of it and Bath the rest.

Burgess would be a good crash ball centre, but he's not as good as S B Williams. After reading what Burgess has put his body through, I'm not surprised he's going. Granted many do.

I can see another folau in afl scenario if this happens.

Int RU? Bullock, 2.5x his current salary more like!

Imagine the outrage on here if the RFL helped fund a transfer to a team in Super League!



Can't blame him if he goes but hope he stays - complete waste of talent otherwise.

If he can't hit the line as hard and fast as possible with ball in hand what's the point in Sam Burgess? If you have to run to the line, turn round and stick your bum out while your mates all come and give you a big cuddle it kind of renders his skill set redundant. No?

Yes!

It would be a massive loss to the game, no doubt about it. It's a shame, as I generally thought he'd be one of those players who stay in the game and ignore the Union interest - like Lockyer, Slater etc. We need to hope and pray George and Tom stay, but I won't be happy if he's trying to convince them to join him. People can talk about money, but without the RFU, interest would Bath be able to tempt him? I'm sure he'd make more money at club level playing for Souths than Bath. But if it's all to play in the RUWC, then it's a bit ridiculous really. He'll have one year to be good enough to make the squad, otherwise it's pretty much a pointless move.

I really don't get why Union are so desperate to sign RL players though, not just England, but in France, Australia, NZ etc. There are far more union than league players in this country, why are they not able to produce like RL does?

He'll regret giving up his lifestyle in Sydney & the all action displays in the Souths side for freezing his butt off in the Bath backline hardly touching the ball, and then being the scapegoat for all his new sides failings.

Stay where you are Sam!

I think there's no chance they go. RU have no interest in prop forwards. Admittedly, they are young enough to learn how to scrimmage, but I think it's safe to say they would have no interest in their skill set. (Although, I would have thought the same about Sam!)

Interesting to think he might play centre in union given that slater skinned him there for the Aussie try just before half time in the RLWC opener.
I fail to see what union want with him........the French have a battering ram offloading centre who was anonymous last weekend.......sbw is an exception to the rule!

joel tomkins will back in league within a year when he doesn't make the cut for the world cup

I reckon Union could buy up the whole England League Team and just stick them on the sidelines.

Wonder which flight back his brothers will be on?

Burgess wouldn't have to play a full half in the forwards before coming up against Slater if he were a union back, he'd be quite fresh.

They want him because he's an excellent player, one of the quickest forwards i've seen and can play 80 mins with ease, he has excellent hands for a forward and is superb in defence.

He's the only Burgess that's good at Souths Sheldon. What will happen?