Agree with JIC RU has all the money & rep for internationals. It used to be the other way with money at least!

Worst thing that ever happened to RL was RU going professional.

Why did the Welsh RU boys come to RL? Money, would you not do this?

Your career can be over in a second in rugby, why not make the most of it?

RU is peppered with RL players/coaches & makes their game much better.

I went to Northampton 2/3 years ago on a freebie they were playing the champs from the season before Wasps, last 5 mins S Myler threw the pass for C Ashton to score the try to level the score, Myler then kicked the goal to win.

How much fun did I have with the RU fans???

If Joel wants to go to RU good luck to him, personally I am suprised Sam isn't going with him!

errr playing rugby league?!

The only guarantee upon moving to begin with is more money.

The international scene and media spotlight is not a gurantee. He'd need to adapt to a new game to a good enough level.

What if he hates playing rugby union, doesn't like his surroundings and never makes it to internantional level and more spotlight. It's a cliche but money doesn't give you happiness. If he moved to union that's [ipotentially[/i all he'd have more of.

Wigan won't be paying him peanuts either, he's one of the top players.

At wigan he get's to be in comfortable surroundings with friends, playing a game he enjoys, while earning a not too shabby earning either. (don't beleive some of the wages being touted for J.Tomkins or compare it to premiership football, it's decent money compared to your average person off the street)

Why do people automatically assume someone wants more media profile and therefor union wins?

Some players might be shy and hate being in the media spotlight and it may distract them and add more pressure. Not every young rl player want to be the centre of attention.

These decisions are alot more complicated than you dress them up. Money is a factor but if you make all your decisions in life based on money you can end up in a pretty bad place in terms of internal happiness.

Now take your negativity and toddle off.

Negativity eh?

The lad as achance to play in the second biggest comp we have the 4 nations and chooses to drop out to tie his deal up,what does that say about our game?

Internal happiness? you are the deli lama and I claim my £10

Can you see a union man say he is pulling out of the six nations to have a chat with salford reds??? no me neither.

So the arguements for staying are internal happiness oh right

Plus the lad who said they are copying us not really,there sport as contested scrums and line outs,your right they are taking our coaches and now were taking the older players but now they have turned there sights on the younger players which is the major worry

Nothing. He's one player. You're making out like every rugby league player has just packed up and said 'no not playing anymore. I want to play RU because i'll get criticised and written about in the press more and i can play in front of 70k at twickenham instead of old trafford'

If union want to pay silly money for a middle of the road second rower that's their choice.

Since 2004 off the top of my head high profile defects i can think of

Farrell
Vainikolo
Hape
Walker
Smith
Ashton
eastmond

Farrell vainikolo and hape gave their best to league and were no great loss. The only loss was in Union's bank balances.

Walker and smith went then came back pretty quick. I wonder why? how could they turn down all that money media and fame? Rugby uinion is after all the promised land



Ashton and eastmond - fair cop. That's 2 genuine losses in 8 years.

Oh my, it seems our players just can't resist the lure of the promised land.

After the worse cup as ended,thank god,England rfu have come up with a cunning plan,they are going to sign the all blacks to play for Barrow rfl,there being they can sign them all back up again to play for England in the next worse cup,BARROW dont fall for it,you will be relagated to the north west counties.

Farrell left league a prop to play centre in union
Vainikolo was a shadow of the player after two major knee operations
Hape was half the player he was after the Volcano left and injuries took their toll
Walker actually did okay in union, but the extra weight on his return has taken its toll
Smith can't even get close to the Leeds team after a horror stint at Wasps
Ashton looks good but tbh would he be still be playing at fb for Wigan; no
Eastmond looked the real deal a while ago, now he is old news and he will struggle in the Aviva Premiership as wingers have got alot bigger since Jason Robinson made the switch.

I'm willing to say it is just Eastmond and even then do Saints having a running scrum-half who can boss and team with more of a kicking and passing game.

If Joel and Sam Tomkins do go then it is much bigger than any of the above names as they are the same as Farrell; quality English players who we all expected to have 10 year careers in international rugby league.

The RFL is trying to address the problems; the licensing system and getting clubs to bring more money into the game, broaden the appeal, make it a national game, get clubs to have balanced books, bring kids through, get an international game, have internationals at big stadia, have big games at big stadia, and all of this seems to be along the road to raising the salary cap, it will be a small raise but it is expected within the next few years that it will increase from £1.65m for top 25 earners, but with union going to £4.5 for all players at the clubs (they do have over 40 man squads) from 2012-13 we will continue to see a drain for those who want to double, or even get 5 times their wage, rather than an extra £10K a year.

The RFL is getting the clubs in order, but it takes time to do the business off the field, so we can give the players a better option than we are at the minute.

If its true that Tomkins is being offered £400K a year by Union then he would indeed he foolish to turn it down. However, given that is a tenth of the current Union club salary cap, which has to account for around 30 players its not rocket science to realise why Union clubs will only make those sort of raids once in a blue moon and not be after every promising young League player.

I appreciate it's devastating for fans of the club that lose a good player to union but seeing as the game only loses 1 or 2 players a season, some of them not even our top players, its hardly devastating to the game as a whole....

certain of the french Top 14 clubs could offer him even more.....

Would you Brits prefer to see guys go across to the RFU or come down to the NRL? I'm just wondering since if they play in the Union comps you can still watch them locally.

In 2013 the NRL clubs are expected to have salary caps which'll dwarf the biggest union clubs so hopefully we'll see more of your guys come down here and join Ellis, Burgess, etc.

No question - I'd prefer to see em go to the NRL. They'd become better players and would still be available for the Englist test side.

However, I'd be surprised if the trickle of English players to the NRL became a torrent. Don't think there's that many players that NRL sides will deem worth signing and there seems to be a surprising reluctance from some English player to go and live at the other side of the world and play in the best RL comp in the world!