The live text on BBC Sport

"The mighty Courtney Lawes goes off after making 12 tackles, an astonishing number for a second row in just less than an hour"

Astonishing indeed

different game, being a union second row he has to push in the scrums, take line outs, roll with the mauls, contest for the ball on the ground, run with the ball, tackle and be tackled, if he was a league second row he would only have to run with the ball and tackle or be tackled, two different games so cant see what point you are making

rugger union blah blah blah
i personally don't ever try to compare the two sports,as they are totally different despite the fact that they can both be played on the same field and with the same shaped ball....end of

burgess has gone to have a rest from the vigours of the nrl whilst taking in a rugger world cup and owt that goes with it,he will be back refreshed in the nrl and at south sydney as soon as he is bored to death with the inactivity of playing english club rugby......but then again everyone knew that didn't they,even the rugger journalists?

...and earn a lot of money whilst doing so.

...and gain national recognition in a national sport that gets national coverage, back page coverage, not four pages deep inside at the bottom of a column somewhere.

FFS - BBC1 News last month on Saturday mornings at 6.30am didn't even mention the 4 nations competition that they were covering live 30 mins later on BBC2, THATS how important the game is, when a BBC News sports reporter doesn't mention a live game but devotes time in his bulletin to the RU international program which didn't start until the following week !

BUT... BUT... BUT... that's the fault of the BBC which really really hates our game and whose agenda is to deliberately ignore it. The greatest game organises an off-season international afterthought series for the BBC to broadcast, and look how it still treats us? It even insisted on 5am and 6am kick offs. At least Sky treat us with two weeks notice and Thursday Night respect!

In fact, the BBC is also ignoring Sam by not shortlisting him for this years SPOTY award which is absolutely disgraceful and an outrage. Thank fook one of our local MP's Greg Mullholland is taking the BBC to task over this by helping to ensure that all RL Moonies boycott the BBC SPOTY.

That'll show 'em.

I was at the game yesterday, and Lawes had a great game, not just the tackles he did make, but how Australia were forced to go away from him.

Union is more successful because Union has more money off the field and a better profile for businesses who want to sponsor the game.
The governing body helps the amateurs out a hell of a lot too.

Contrast that with BARLA who are constantly bickering, the SL clubs with their self interest, the NRL with its self interest, the RLIF not really giving a toss about any country but the top 5 international sides.

RU is well organised, generally cohesive and well financed.
RL is insular, short sighted and self interested and has sponsors like Barry Plumbing Merchants for the top clubs.

Yep, and the only way to change that is through expanding the game to other areas and through internationals.

problem is, no one wants to watch it in there areas, london, abject failure, wales failure, france could be a second team, a franchise in cumbria would be attractive but teams are to far apart, where do you suggest this expansion takes place?

Where do you think expansion should take place? Into areas ready for it. It's already taking place with the teams in C1. I think places like Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham and Wales would be able to support a team if done properly and given the proper backing.

I don't know why a franchise in Cumbria would be attractive. There are far more attractive areas that have the potential to significantly increase the sport's profile, both to supporters and sponsors. The alternative is to stick with what we've got. Which will slowly wither to a level around the same size as Ice Hockey in the UK.

30 years ago the idea of three regular season NFL games selling out Wembley would have been laughable.

It's a good job the NFL didn't take that attitude to expansion.

Interest in the game from a playing perspective is at an all-time high in non-heartland areas. It's going to be a slow process to grow that into enough interest to run a semi-pro club, but it's definitely possible.

Sam Burgess does not seem the sort to seek out a quiet life. He seems an honest lad and I think he genuinely wants to test himself on the bigger international stage. As a bonus in Union he will earn far more than league and if successful at international level he will earn mega money with off field deals.

He is starting in the centres which is where he is likely to play for England, however I am more and more coming round to the point of view of the intelligent and likeable Mike Ford who believes Sam will be better suited to, and will prefer to be in, the pack where he will be more involved. Sam is an intelligent player and can pick up enough Union technicalities to be a devastating asset even if only coming on from the bench. His massive pluses will more than outweigh any errors and mistakes made through Union inexperience.

This is where you and I have to disagree. I believe that the major motivating factor to Sam's code switch was financial and not because he needs to test himself or better his skill set.

Look at the evidence - Sam was living and playing with all of his brothers in a fantastic city that averages 240 days of sun a year, for currently the best team in the NRL. He was earning a decant wage, had a Hollywood A-lister as his bessie and quite a high public profile. He was an England international and touted as one of (if not THE) best players in the world.

He's traded that for living in Bath on his own, hardly known in RU with the 'chance' of playing internationally, but for a bucket load of cash - much more than he could ever earn playing RL.

wrong, thirty years ago i watched pre season NFL games at wembley and three games would not have been laughable, league has nowhere to expand too, its a shame as its a great game but the truth is its ultra low profile everywhere in the uk except its heartland, even there the crowds are small, the two biggest teams in SL get smaller crowds that their lower league football namesakes, tell me where you think a SL teem would work