I'd slightly disagree, but, you know what? There's too much RU talk on this forum these days (largely thanks to the trolls). Let's stick to talking about our game!

I disagree. This is a very relevant thread to RL.

Every time a mercurial talent emerges, RU try to pinch him. Now, I'm not taking a moralistic position on this. We did the same to them and these lads have to go where the money is, so there's no blame in that regard.

However, the British game can't afford these losses indefinitely. So, when one of our genuine stars defects and then finds himself unused, underused, misused, abused ... whatever you want to call it, it seems perfectly legitimate that we discuss it with a view to working out whether it means there's more chance he'll come home.

As you said, we'd all love to see Sam Burgess back in RL, even if it's downunder. I see no reason why we can't talk about that and hope for the best, and if that means finding reasons why RU is a dog's breakfast of a sport that will only regress an athlete like Sam, so be it.

When it was first announced that he was moving to Union, Burgess stated was that if he stayed in the NRL then he wouldn't play past the age of 30 due to the intensity he plays and impact on his body.

He will be back there I think after May next year (when Bath's season finishes) as I don't think they will allow him to leave mid season to join Souths for the start of the 2017 season.

He looks to me like he has lost some muscle too, so he will need to add that back on

Well, RU's attempt to sabotage the Grand Final next Saturday by moving an England game to Man City on the same evening is looking pretty silly now. Up yours. Schadenfreude.

How funny is it that the game will be on prime time tele? (Presume it is).

Ginger nuts (prince Harry) will be trying to round up viewers.

ITV will be shttng themselves over the ad revenue they're about to loose. Likewise 5live's commitment to home nations & significant others coverage looks like a boast a tad too far.
O2 might be looking at sponsorship value for money as well - I certainly would be.

Ebay will go into meltdown next week with the Hooray Henrys trying to shift match tickets and Hotel bookings for next weekend.

It's Lancaster and Robshaw's fault this week.

Just heard that Englands best player 'Armitage' was deliberately not picked because England have a policy that if you don't play in England you don't get picked and he plays in France ha ha ha what a bunch of goons

One of the reasons for England's failure will be the picking of Burgess, he was slated for last week now the team are out the fact that Burgess was in the squad will be rolled out as one of the factors that England are the first hosts never to qualify out of the group.
The English RU have everything in their favour, playing at home , more money , more players and the backing of the media. They blew it.

From what I've seen of them in this tournament, they look like they don't have the first clue.

Yesterday was one of the most crucial, vital, essential, do-or-die matches in English RU history - or so they were telling us on the news all week - and not only were they defeated, they suffered a record defeat. If they can't get motivated for that one, what can they get motivated for? The simple fact is they were ought-thought, out-muscled and out-enthused in every part of the pitch. They looked like a bunch of toffs playing at being professional sportsmen, with no real idea what it was going to entail. Reminded me of the Wigan v Bath game at Man City. Beforehand, the Bath fans who attended that match actually thought they were going to win.

Anyway, the hooray Henry RU journalists can blame Burgess all they want. By his body language yesterday, he's clearly already decided that RU won't be part of his life much longer. But the real thinkers behind the England camp - the ones who've managed to con the world that this is a major sporting event - will know where the real blame lies.

I think we can expect the heads of Lancaster, Farrell etc to be on the block very, very soon.

Like we care.

Quote ="stillinthepast"Ebay will go into meltdown next week with the Hooray Henrys trying to shift match tickets and Hotel bookings for next weekend. '" www.stubhub.co.uk/rugby-world-cu ... 5-4420484/ 670 tickets available at the time of posting this link!

Quote ="stillinthepast"Ebay will go into meltdown next week with the Hooray Henrys trying to shift match tickets and Hotel bookings for next weekend. '" www.stubhub.co.uk/rugby-world-cu ... 5-4420484/ 670 tickets available at the time of posting this link!

Who gives a shoite?
A game for people with no team to support but who think it is the right thing to do to support their country. A sport that applauds and sanctifies drop goals and wouldn't know a rugby player if he kicked him in the .
I backed Wales and Aus. Like taking candy off a baby.
All I need now is Boris from London to decry the seeding system and my will drop off with laughter.
RU is a great social sport but as an entertainment falls well behind five n threes and trollying.

Don't know how true this is as it might be wishful thinking more than cold hard facts but: m.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/spo ... -1-7497832

Don't know how true this is as it might be wishful thinking more than cold hard facts but: m.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/spo ... -1-7497832

I hope he does cme to SL but don't think he will.
If he did he'd put a 1000 or so on the gate whichever away ground his team visted.
He coud put 2000 on a home gate.

I have seen a couple of comments today in which the Rugby League influence in the team was blamed,

They are said to have come from the England No 8 Billy Vunipola , you know who I mean the 20st player who has perpetual slow motion off to a tee.

Firstly he said that the inclusion of Sam Burgess in the team had a disturbing effect on the squad when he was picked in front of Luther Burrell.
Secondly he said that that Andy Farrell did the coaching, not Stuart Lancaster and made the team play like a Rugby League side.

If that second part is the case he must have shown them a lot of videos of the local junior Rugby League.

I think I may be being a bit of harsh on Junior League here.

Hopefully he'll come back to league sooner rather than later before he's ruined, I don't care which club, just come back.

Just heard a journalist at todays press conference accusing Farrell of nepotism.

Quote ="apollosghost"I don't care which club, just come back.'" You might not say that when you hear the current rumors regarding his return to SL and one club in particular.... www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/s ... -1-7497832

Quote ="apollosghost"I don't care which club, just come back.'" You might not say that when you hear the current rumors regarding his return to SL and one club in particular.... www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/s ... -1-7497832

Quote ="tugglesf78"You might not say that when you hear the current rumors regarding his return to SL and one club in particular.... www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/s ... -1-7497832'" Would rather him be at Leeds than in Union. Hopefully a win for us at the weekend and the arrival of Sam next season will kickstart an increase in our crowds again.

Quote ="tugglesf78"You might not say that when you hear the current rumors regarding his return to SL and one club in particular.... www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/s ... -1-7497832'" Would rather him be at Leeds than in Union. Hopefully a win for us at the weekend and the arrival of Sam next season will kickstart an increase in our crowds again.

Quote ="tugglesf78"You might not say that when you hear the current rumors regarding his return to SL and one club in particular.... www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/s ... -1-7497832'" Nope, not bothered, not even if it were Saints.

Quote ="tugglesf78"You might not say that when you hear the current rumors regarding his return to SL and one club in particular.... www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/s ... -1-7497832'" Nope, not bothered, not even if it were Saints.

Sounds like the bookies have run scared at the potential for there being a bit of insider knowledge being passed round but I doubt it.

Leeds will need to check his 'Love-Ometre' anyway because they don't play for cash over Headingley way.

Burgess would be any club's marquee player wouldn't he? Not that it matters because I don't think he'll go to SL unless he suddenly decides to quit RU before his contract is up. I do think he's more likely to go back to Souths when his contract is up though. If he'd been part of an England team that got to the final, I reckon he would have stayed in RU to go one better next time.

Personally I think the England result, and the treatment of Burgess in particular has to be a plus for RL. There's no chance Burgess will play at centre for England again, and assuming Lancaster et al get the flick (including Farrell, who I can't forgive for helping to entice RL players) any other coach would probably do the exact opposite of fast tracking him - he'll have to be far and away the best in his position to be considered again.

It also means that other converts will be highly unlikely to be fast tracked by England either - especially if other union players get annoyed at being jumped over in the queue. Given that most RL converts (including Sam) go supposedly because of the bigger stage etc, if you're told it could be years before you get a shot that would make a lot think twice. Compare that to Vainakolo, Paul, Hape, Farrell, Ashton and Burgess who gave the impression that all you need to do is play half a dozen games of union and you'll get to play at Twickers, and the thought of actually learning the game and playing club rugby in the winter may not be the enticing thought it once was. When you add in the undisguised dislike of RL and the glee of pointing at failures, I reckon moving to RU could well be seen as a huge risk that might not be worth taking.

Personally I think the problem with Sam was entirely predictable - signing a player because he is naturally built to be great in another sport rather than looking to where he'd play in union etc. Had they looked at Burgess as an RU player, I don't think any RU side in their right mind would have paid a lot for him. The fact that Bath didn't even work out he'd never make a centre until they tried him there speaks volumes (including for how good a coach Mike Ford is). The fact that England made the same mistake after Bath admitted theirs is even more proof of how bad a coach Lancaster must be.

Never looked a union player. As poor as the game is he's not quick enough to be in the backs or big and slow enough to be in the forwards. He's stuck in between two roles and its showed.

Regardless of the club it'd be nice to see him back in league.

Good post. Agree with this. My guess is that Farrell pushed hard for his selection and Lancaster gave in. Was Farrell too influential? And what will it all say about his future?

Watch Rads doing the interview with Sam Tomkins on Wigan t.v.