And neglecting one of the most consistent halfbacks in the NRL - Gareth Widdop!

Hope he stays with you, if not I hope he's hanging on for the NRL TV deal to go through and goes to Oz.

Personally I'd sooner Sam go to the NRL than Union, if that's the choice presented.
Somewhere in this there is a 'nod' to League over Union, we are clearly developing better players in our code if Union feel the need to lure them over with big bucks.

By the next RUWC we could potentially be looking at:

15 S Tomkins
14 C Ashton
13 J Tomkins
12 Probably targeted another League bod by then
11 K Eastmond

Well done Union, you clearly are developing your own talent with such success.

In relation to George Ford who will probably play at 10 for England no doubt, there was this little snippet the other day:



Full of **** comes to mind, union is dead on it's knees in terms of producing it's own quality backs at any level.

I'd much rather see Sam play in the NRL it's a great league to watch and would full realise his ability. It's vey disappointing as a Wigan fan being resigned to losing him though.

Crazy isn't it?

Starting 6 all season for the team which finished top in the NRL under probably the second best coach in the world.

Kevin Sinfield --->

<--- Steve McNamara

Surely Rangi Chase might be a shout and even perhaps Tommy Leuluai and George Carmont?

The best Kiwis in England usually get picked up, Henry Paul, Vainikolo and Hape.

Add Riki Flutey and Dylan Hartley to that list, the RFU is more of a UN based rugby team.

Normally once they get a bad injury going off that list!

and louis Anderson could be added to the list if his reported future french plans are to be believed.

They don't need to, why bother when you can pick up superbly fit and well drilled youngsters from RL for tuppence ha'penny?

They will use RL as a production line and their grip on the media will turn this into a positive for them through the usual pro-RU propaganda.

Dont get me wrong I am a huge fan of Sam. He is a wonderful running talent and a top bloke to boot. However to be a top class RU full back or half back you need to be able to kick from hand. With respect Sams kicking game is not the best.

neither was Jason Robinsons but he didnt do to bad......

He hardly ever played at full back in union and cant even remember one occasion in league. You can get away with it on the wing which is where his best position was in both union and league. Numbers 10 and 15 get you around the park.

Sam will eventually go to union but I dont think hes ideally suited for it. Wingers or Centres are the only players that hardly have to change their game to switch successfully

All you need to do is boot it out on the full from F/B in yawnion, I'm sure he'd manage.

Neither do I.

However, Sam firing at 60% is a much more potent attacking force than most in the England RU setup. He will go, and we shouldn't blame him for doing so.

Jason Robinson hardly ever played full back and you can't remember one occasion in league.



RU

[urlhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/7051314.stm[/url

[urlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/england/3016580/Daring-Robinson-carries-the-attack-to-his-critics.html[/url

[urlhttp://www.thesharks.co.uk/about/player-profiles?id=14[/url

RL

[urlhttp://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=148[/url

and I'm surprised Saints fans haven't been on this thread already to remind us of the 2000 GF, where the great man played at FB.

Sam's kicking game may not be world class, but he still has a very good kicking game. Its more to do with him being that good as a natural runner that his good kicking goes unnoticed, much like his defence (which is another myth about it being poor)

It's worse when it is English players though. They produce players of that standard all the time down under. Marshall and SKD are probably better players than Paul and Hape. Australia lost players like Hunt and Folau, but YowYeh has come through and they already had world class talent like Hayne and Inglis anyway. We can't produce players over and over again of that standard.

If Sam were to leave, how long would it be before we see another player of that talent come through so young? Look at the time difference between Edwards and Tomkins....

Yes I would like to see Hunt, Folau and SBW still in rugby league... but at the end of the day, they have produced players of this quality over and over. We don't seem to be able to do the same in England.

Press conference soon. Announcement of Joel leaving and a major player signing a new and mega improved offer. Watch this space.

Whilst no sane man would denay Robinsons talent, when he swapped, RU were still embracing their full time professionalism.

Whilst rugby league, imo, still produces grater rugby talent in the backs, there are players in union who shouldn't be sniffed at, such as Ben Foden.

As a Saints fan, I struggle to decide how well Eastmond will go. I'm sure he'll rip it up at club level, but I wonder whether he'll be considered too small for the international scene. His ability under a high ball could be an issue and, although he's from what might be considered a tougher code, I don't see him getting up and dusting him self off after some big fat frenchman's ran his studs down him in a ruck.

I don't quite get this. On the one hand you've got Sam who, by the reckoning of many, is the brightest prospect we've had in ages yet you're only excited at the prospect of seeing Lockyer and Marshall. Hell, I'm a Leeds fan and I'd rather see Sam do well for England than seeing the others do well for their respective sides.

Ask yourself this: which is most likely hurt ST? Being booed by Leeds fans at Headingley or a situation where Wigan fans aren't remotely excited by the prospect of seeing him play? Surely, particularly with union sniffing around, you lot should be getting behind the lad?

How soon, days/weeks?

Pryce?