This 'partnership' is easy to sneer at - it was definitely my first reaction, but now a few hours has passed I can see a positive hope. Only a hope, but hope nonetheless...

For years all we've really done is bang on about our 'superior product' and lets be honest, if a Union fan is dead against it, its hard to change minds. If you've made your mind up that you're hostile to a sport, you see what you want to see (or rather what you don't want to see). An example from years ago when I was a student, I took this posh kid from Surrey - nice bloke, but Ra-Ra thru and thru - watching Wigan vs. Australia ( I don't recall the exact year, I'm guessing 95ish) and all he could focus on was the 'farcical scrums'. He wasn't just being a a**ehole, it genuinely ruined it for him. He'd turned up with 'League scrums are a joke' in his head and he could virtually see nothing else on the pitch. It was bizarre.

Maybe I was the same when I went to watch Saracens vs Sale last New Year (a relative from down south was up and he follows them). I was bored witless. Maybe I turned up determined to be bored, I don't know.

Anyhow...I can actually see a benefit in Union and League sitting side-by-side as 'friends'. I don't see it as being a 'feeder' relationship, but more like Test cricket and One-day cricket. The latter is more important to some people (particularly Indians and others from the subcotinent), the former more important to others. It's not the route to a 'merger' either - one day cricket and test cricket will never 'merge' - completely different way to play the bat and ball game, just like League and Union are a different way to play the Oval Ball game. People have their preference, but most Test fans would watch a One dayer, and vice versa. There's not really an outright hostility.

If Union and League were more like that, perhaps more Union fans,less hostile, would watch League with an open mind and start to see what they've been missing all these years. Done well, League could be the winner.

Love to see a couple of coach loads of Saracens fans bussed up to Wigan for some games next year. I'd love to volunteer to do the return trip but I sat thru Saracens-Sale once, so I've done my time

Obvious comeback to this post is Harlequins - RaRa's didn't turn up to watch them. But they don't have the marquee pulling power of the top clubs. I'm sure you could fill a few coaches worth of Saracens fans to come and watch Wigan ( even if they do so only because they *think* its their feeder club - I don't care - just get the b*ggers watching and the spectacle can do the rest )

The problem is Union is a genuinely boring sport to watch - up there with the likes of Golf & Snooker. Nothing happens and you get penalisied (or seven sent off!) for a big hit. It really is a terrible sport and I've never watched a game of Union that has even been close to interesting.

Where as in league, so much more happens - which is why people like it (well people who've heard of it )

The partnership is a silly idea and there will only be one winner from it - and it wont be Wigan.

True, but to my limited knoweldge of the game, they're sh*te, right? (even by RaRa standards)

rlAnother announcement from Wigan today that's been missed due to the Tomkins/Saracens stuffrl

Wigan leading the way once again.

So council tax payers are part funding this adventure?

They were suggesting on Radio 5 Live last night, that if you're not six-or-seven-foot-stupid, you won't make it in Union.

The Welsh Union scrum-half is taller than 1970s British Lion Lock Willie John McBride. Union's front row used to be full of dwarves. Now you have Andrew Sheridan, who is six foot four-ish.

It may be that the deal is to offer the shorter Union players (i.e. 6 foot 2 and under) a playing career in League. Whether they have the ball handling skills is an issue, though.

I just love how a positive spin can be found by the Beeb for anything Union. Comparing Wigan and Saracens, they say19 English titles, 18 Challenge Cup wins and three World Club Champions victories to their name.

By contrast Saracens, who are the reigning Premiership champions, have won little silverware but have in recent years shown an appetite for innovation including team-bonding at a beer festival . .."
(which would no doubt be a roaring scandal had Wigan done it

The partnership stuff is mainly a bit of guff to help put a gloss over losing a promising player. There may be a bit done in the first year or so with Farrell being involved at Sarries but it'll all die down pretty soon since player loans will be difficult with the salary cap aspects (and the fact that players won't be up to speed on how to play the game they're going to), there won't be much benefit in fans either way since the 2 clubs are 200 miles apart and there might be an initial coaches discussion or something similar but it won't continue for long. The best bet for anything is a cross-code game which might do ok since it's Wigan involved but it depends how it's done and whether both sides are actually up for it, since it could be difficult to schedule given the differing seasons.

The bigger news for me is the announcement about the Central Park work academy. It's the kind of thing a place like Wigan needs and it's great that Wigan are doing something for the community. Also it should be a perfect opportunity to get the vast majority of Wigan academy lads some kind of qualification whilst theyre playing for Wigan as well. So they're still continuing some kind of education alongside their RL.

Thing is that Saracens are on a mission....they are aiming to be the biggest club (of both codes) in the world, that is not an exaggeration. Taking games abroad (they're playing a European match in Cape Town, South Africa for gods sake!) They are basically following the Manchester United model. Saracens are the only team pretty much that South Africans have heard of - mainly because most of their games are broadcast over there.

Saracens now have a shed load of money from numerous investors and see Wigan as the biggest team in UK Rugby League. Hence the partnership.

This deal doesn't cause either Wigan or Saracens a problem - nor a "great" advantage. Neither team is competing against the other - trading training camps, coaching ideas, hosting cross code matches etc doesn't affect either teams ability to perform well in their respective leagues.

So long as Wigan sign players they deem worthy up to decent contracts (admittedly, the salary cap in league is an issue compared with union) then if a player e.g. Tomkins decides to leave, then compensation will be paid and the relevant investment made in that players development will be recuped.

Going back to the OP.....you can't say that union is boring to watch and find it amazing that a union fan finds league boring. People will have their own preferences and we have to accept that. Both sports have their pros and cons...always baffles me how some people can't stand the other code - be open minded and enjoy rugby all year round! But, there are people who have strong feelings and we have to accept it - it's their loss (on both sides of the coin).

This "partnership" can only benefit both sides - so long as both clubs maintain strong management boards.

The Union salary cap is becoming an issue as Not one English side can compete with Money bags French sides that out spend them by a few millliion.

An $8million salary cap for the French means they could take the cream of English RU talent, leading the union teams more inclined to take a risk on a potential RL superstar.

A K A Johnny Wilkinson