Sam Burgess. one of the greatest RL back rowers of all time switches to union and gets played at centre. if positions were that similar why didn't they play him at 8?

RU is nothing like RL.

Burrell looks lost in the back row with ample players on each side of him. There's no way he'd be able to stand at centre and hold his own in RL.

Nonetheless, virtually every RU centre who came north slotted into centre at RL with very little bedding in, adjustment or settling in period.

tbf, Burrell was thrown in before he was fit last season, has had a close season then been thrust into the matchday 17. He should have been at Widnes for two months to learn his trade and gain confidence.

Couldn’t disagree more. Centre in RU and RL are poles apart. In attack, big man running out wide might make sense, but in defence it’s a different beast. Centres in RL can’t just hit who’s in front of them. Jon Clark said once, about having to half back, that he’d rather make 50 tackles the middle than 10 on an edge as you have to think a lot more. And that is a RL thoroughbred 10 years into a career.

Burrell is a waste of a shirt for me.

Like who? and recently within the last 10 years?

Admittedly going back to the 1990s but one of the finest Warrington centres I've seen was Allan Bateman. Slotted in quickly to RL having been a regular RU centre. He played centre for the British Lions in RU and for Great Britain in RL if I remember correctly.
Its about ability. If you have it you'll adjust in my opinion

Who mentioned the last 10 yrs? Apart from becoming a better spectacle have the requirements of an RU centre changed dramatically in that time? No.

But since you ask

Davies, Bateman, Deveruex, Tait, Innes, Tuigimala, Gibbs, Hayne, Vainkolo off the top of my head.

Yes, it's down to ability as well, but Burrel WAS an RU international.

Comparing people that came over nearly 30 years ago before full time training isn't even like comparing apples and oranges, its like comparing apples and super fish.

And Hayne and Vainikolo were RL players who went to union, and were mainly wingers as well.

Me.



Not drastically but yes they have.



Pretty sure they aren't players within the last 10 years.



and as pointed out, RU centres are NOTHING like RL centres. The jobs are completely different. The skill level/ability is completely different. the fitness levels are completely different. The defensive reads are completely different. The communication skills required are completely different.

In short, everything between a RL & a RU centre is completely different.

That's why he isn't playing at centre and is being shoehorned into the back row. Because he's more looked after and there's less chance of him coming up with an error. More so in defense rather than attack.

I'm sure you're a jolly nice person but that's crap. There have been virtually NO converts in the last 10 years so that's a nonsensical argument. And if you think it's easier to learn RL from the second row than centre then you really do need to take more water with it.

Played both games and both positions. and from a DEFENSIVE point of view, Centre is far harder to learn than second row.

Attacking wise Second row is indeed harder to learn as you are require to run lines but look at how Burrell is being used, he's being brought on an taking the ball in on tackles 1 or 2. he's not involved in any play that involves shifting the ball (Which doesn't happen much anyway).

As Price seems intent to build off from a strong defensive game it's of no surprise that Burrell isn't being played in the 3/4's because its an incredibly hard position to defend in.

Nonsense by your logic Sam burgess should be a league centre smh

av got a point ter mek, but first i need to cleer the air abart tony smith.
vis lad carnt coash a rugby teem ter save is bluddy lif.
i onnersly fink if u put a fuccin monky in a traksute in is plaice ud get a berrer team.
nar, i dunt want to speek il of my berluvvered Hull KR (THE LADS!!! CMON!!! CHAPIONS!!!) but av got ter say vat Terny Smith is ver werst fing to appen to us since the blitz.
wots e eben doing!!? ow can yer justify mekkin calls like vat all er time!!!?
onnersly lads if i eber run inter vat lad, am gunner proper av im. fucin lay im art fo wot es dun to my berluvved teem Hull KR (YES LADS! ROBINNS FOREBER!!!)
onnersly wots e finkin?????

AM NOT KIDDIN VO LADS AM PIST OFF

TONY LAD, IF THAS KNOCIN ABART ON ERE, JUST FUCCIN WATCH THISEN ALREYT?

OW CAN WE OLD ARE EDS UP IGH???? WI A CERCH LIKE IM!?
IN FACT LADS
JUS AS SOON AS VEY LET ME BACK IN TO MY BEERLOVVERED KC STADIUM (CMON!) AM GUNNER ED STREYT FO THE COARCHS BENCH AND JUS FUCCIN NUT THE PRICK!!!!!
ROBINS FOREVER!!!!!

anyway. wot i wanted to say wo, vat last fyew times av bin ter a game av rerly enjoied seein ser many familys vere enjoyin this beautiful sport togevver.
warms mi heart.

And how on earth do you work that out?

Sam burgess. Plays in the pack in League, gets shipped out into the backs in Union where he can't mess up the tactics in the middle.

Burrell plays centre in Union, gets put into the forwards where he can't leak points for fun in defense and equally can't mess up the tactics in the middle because he's getting used as a tackle 1 or 2 one up donkey.

Well, I don't want to get into ping pong re: Burrell but I do have some sympathy with how he's been pitched in. Time as well as whatever complexities he has to overcome is against him.

Anyone would think Price wanted him to fail .........

Me too. I think he’s fit enough to pull it off. (No pun)

Lesson for today


The Difference Between a double entendre and a pun

The words double entendre and pun are both about double meanings. Double entendre, in fact, originated in an obsolete expression in French, which means “double meaning.” The origins of pun are less certain, but it likely traces to the Italian word puntiglio meaning “fine point, quibble.” In English, double entendre refers to a double meaning in which one meaning is usually shocking or risqué in its sexual suggestiveness. Pun usually has more to do with silly or humorous double meanings than with anything sexually suggestive or lewd.

If you wanted your sentence to contain a pun then you might say 'He's no spring chicken, but he may be fit enough to pull it off' where 'pull it' could be read as 'pullet' (a young hen). What you have is a double entendre where you are suggesting that Mr Burrell is treating himself to a 'Gentleman's Wash'.

I met a girl who asked me for a double entendre

So I gave her one

I didn’t bother to read the essay. The first line was explanation enough. Anyway you still understood me.

Watched the highlights, kept thinking Rhys Evans was playing (Austin may need to have a word with his hairdresser).

Watching Austin being interviewed after the game I thought he had a look of Robert Downey Jr / kirk lazarus in the trailer for Satan's Alley. He has not been quite on form recently.

I’m giving him the benefit of doubt following his interview.
It’s pretty obvious he is getting hit all over the place, hence he’s having to wear head bands every week. If the forwards were setting the platform, Austin’s job would be easier.

very noble of you.

Austin actually admitted that he was wearing head bandages every week because he was growing his hair and wanted to keep it out of his face whilst playing.

He then shared a story on Instagram that he tried to dye his own hair with a shop bought kit and ballsed it up so had to get an emergency appointment at the barbers where they had to come up with a new hairstyle there and then. its bleached to cover up the mistake he made or something.

If only he was putting as much effort in on the pitch as he was his hair recently.

I think that's not quite right. I don't think his problem is effort ... as I have watched him closely. He knows he's not playing like last year. He thinks opposition are much more clued up to his game ... is one of the reasons.

Exactly. They’re on him on every touch to shut him down and teams put hits on him early to quiet him down.