Seen a interview where Sam says his body was telling him he couldn*t take much more of Rugby League...

Let's be honest... his debut match was played in p*ssing rain. I doubt many matches off either code really shine in such bad weather. I was frustrated watching it with all the scrum resets... but it's part of the game in gaining ascendancy over your opposite pack.. thus winning penalties and gaining field position. Possibly one of the worst union games I've seen in a few years, but it isn't the same with other union matches - so let's not brand every game the same because of one match. I've seen some dog awful RL matches played in horrible weather... it doesn't mean every match is the same.

Burgess got about 3 touches in the game, solely because the game was a real stop start event (collapsed scrums, knock on's - leading to more collapsed scrums).. but as above, it was a cr*p game (like any match could be in that weather).

I think backrow would suit him better long term, though centre is his best option at quick recognition in union. Certainly if he is going to make the world cup squad. Backrow has too many players of a similar size ahead of him.

I'll watch with interest.... and if it doesn't work out for him he can come back to RL. Simples.... but I wonder what RL has to offer him now - what has he got left to do? He can't win the world cup - as England just aren't capable of getting there, he's won the NRL title... just what would draw him back? He'll be playing to sell out crowds and big numbers, commercially and bums on seats... RL needs to pick up in order to attract SB back.

I looked at the stats during the last Lions tour. One game the leading forward did 7 tackles and 4 hit ups. Last season sam avg's 34 tackles and 15 hit ups a game. At the work rate of a union forward he will still be playing at 50!

He hasn't won SL with HKR yet

Was that the Lions tour that attracted 192,972 fans to 3 test matches? Maybe they should have had a double header?
It's a wonder that people around the world other than in Australia seem to prefer watching it? Strange really given the only other things Aussies lead the world in is getting Aboriginals drunk so they can steal their land and Shooting Kangaroos?....oh, almost forgot....and moving the goalposts in competitions to suit their needs above everyone else's.

I think on the whole Union is a dreadful spectacle to watch, that's not because I'm bitter but because it simply doesn't do it for me. Still far rather watch it than football which blows both codes out of the water for popularity.

Quoting attendances figures doesn't highlight one codes strengths on the field over the others much in the same way that pop music, reality TV, football and fast food are so popular; are these really the best products out there?

Seems to be some posters are absolutely fine with league being slated (yes we know it's far from perfect) on here, but any anti union comments are seen to be an inferiority complex.

Ben Morgan the England RU no.8 is shorter by 2 inches, the same weight & age as SB, he's considered to be one of the top English forwards.
SB would run rings around him in every single dept.

On Saturday against Australia BM made 9 runs, the most of any player (out of a total 50 for the whole team) covering 31 metres (total 203!) and made 12 tackles with a massive ONE pass (out of 71 team total).
Australia passed 3 times more, made three times as many metres and 3 times as many runs, beat more men, made more clean breaks made 3 times LESS tackles BUT crucially turned the ball over more often & were beaten.
By rights Australia should have walked this, they were the more attractive to watch, broke tackles at will, got the ball out wide yet England played rugby union whereas Australia played rubgy.
SB will be wasted even if he gets in the England squad, they play dire, boring uninteresting rugby but tactically it will win them games..Lancaster can only play one way and the results speak for themselves. I'd rather watch the French or Welsh national teams anyday.

South Africa or New Zealand will win the RUWC and SB will come back to league a richer and wiser man in a few years time. IF he decides to stay in union it'll be for the money and nothing else because deep down if he really has that desire as an athlete that he shows playing league every day a little bit of him will die whilst freezing his b'll'cks off in the centres..

Why else would anyone bring up a bigger and more popular code and try and make fun of it if they were confident and secure in their own beliefs?


I have no doubt whatsoever that Ben Morgan would out scrummage and out muscle Burgess in the loose. He is skilled at 'getting in the way" of opposition ball as well as "stealing it". He is no less capable of tackling than Burgess, but he is probably far more astute at winning line-out ball, so it may be that "offloading" might be the main area where Burgess has the edge, although the wild inside effort to nobody at all at the weekend shows that Sam may still have a bit to learn on that front. I suspect your ignorance of what a back row forward does in Union may actually cloud your judgement here.....either that or it's highlighting your insecurity.

Burgess has gone to a game where "different" skills are required....comparing what Union forwards do to League is like comparing a video recorder with a toffee apple.....pointless.

When a player, League or Union, hits the defensive line and skilfully gets his head and shoulders through the tackle while keeping his hands free to offload the ball yet can't find a team mate to pass to.

I would suggest that in either sport it is his team mates who have "a bit to learn"!

Yeah, knew I would never make it when my coach said I didn't get in the way enough.

It's a different skill alright!

True, but Sam will need to understand that his team mates are no longer spread out in a line across the pitch any more....although there are two more to aim at It's a different skill alright!'"

Because it's current news, a former RL star made his debut in the game, whilst at the same time people are allowed to also think the games crap. I'm sure as someone who's 'confident and secure in their own beliefs' you'll never have 'made fun' of anything you dislike.