Massively disappointed about his move, but expected it. A world class player and probably the best prop in the world in his prime. However, he has never won anything in his career. In a few years, that's what he will be known as, the good player who never kicked on to win anything.

Fully understand this I turned a job down last year marginally more money but would have meant more time away from my family.
However had that job been 10 years ago when I was young and single I would have taken it as it didn't matter then. And it was only marginally more, one would assume Sam is leaving for at least marginally more and let's be honest sportsmen and women only really "work" for a couple of hours a day over the course of a calendar year so it certainly won't impact his family life! Well aside from they all live in aus now!

Just always make my wonder why fans can't see that it's just work to them.

Fully understand this I turned a job down last year marginally more money but would have meant more time away from my family.
However had that job been 10 years ago when I was young and single I would have taken it as it didn't matter then. And it was only marginally more, one would assume Sam is leaving for at least marginally more and let's be honest sportsmen and women only really "work" for a couple of hours a day over the course of a calendar year so it certainly won't impact his family life! Well aside from they all live in aus now!

Just always make my wonder why fans can't see that it's just work to them.

Fair play to Sam Burgess I say..

He's a superstar in RL and other than GF wins he has acheived all that he'll do in RL... Internationally he can't get any more - England just can't win a title so no point him waiting on that each year.

Internationally and commercially RU is the bigger draw globally so his name and the challenges will be bigger for him.

You're only a professional sportsman for a few years of your overall life... he should try to achieve and collect as much as he can before retirement.

I think his best position will be centre in RU - the forwards is too much technically for him to master (especially if he wants to play in the RWC next year).

Let's enjoy Sam Burgess in RL for the coming season and wish him well for the future after that... chances are he may come back again, but no one can fault the effort and skill he has put into the RL game.

So he has won NOTHING.
He has been crocked for a 1/3 of his Test career.
He can show his kids all of the Medals he hasn't won.

Done bugger all other than be a show Pony and isn't good enough to lace his Idols mercenary Boots in $BW

I sincerely hope he breaks his leg and never recovers any sort of form.

not just because I think he's a Judas for moving to union, but the more big money 'flops' union sign means they're less likely to come knocking with their cherquebooks and the weight of the media machine firmly on their side


The rugby league-rugby union issue runs so much deeper than 'just another pay cheque', and players whom rugby league has made into the stars they are and delivered very handsome salaries to, should respect the history of our code.

Oh, and for anyone saying that a player's career is short and over by their early/mid-thirties, retraining within one's working life is a fact of life. Why should they be different to the rest of us plebs?

Point is... England will not win the World Cup, certainly not within his playing career. Nor will they win a 4 Nations in my opinion. we can win the odd game, but not consistently enough for a tournament. So internationally speaking RL offers nothing more for him other than going through the motions.

He can't play Origin so no point trying that angle.

South's were a good shout for a GF place last season, but lost out just before it. Whose to say if they don't get there this season they will next or the year after etc.

He's played SL and now NRL - no other international or domestic leagues/competitions left in RL for him.

My point is that in a short career RU is the other option for him to test himself in different leagues, competitions and internationally. I'm a RL fan, but can easily follow RU (I've taken the blinkers off) so personally think this is a good move for him. I think it is too late in the day for him to make the RWC in 2015, but I'm sure he'll succeed in RU and will pick up silverware internationally with the England set up.

It's not all about hating people for taking money or taking on a new challenge. As I say, he has played in pretty much every game other than a GF he can in RL.

A lot of bitter people here.

Sam has the ability and has put in the hard work to make choices available to him which are not available to most people.

He hasn't been given this on a plate, he's worked damn hard for it. It's up to half how he chooses to go forward with his life.

It's easy to criticise other people's decisions from the comfort of your own keyboard.

What the RFL and international organisation need to do is make it a more difficult decision to make.

A packedeaningful international RL schedule and a competitive international club competition would have made the choice a lot harder for Sam.

This is whee the blame lies, the governing bodies, not the individual sportsmen.

The rfu World Cup only really started in earnest 20 years ago

Get paid to do less and then make the Union World Cup on the back of a media wave, seems an easy decision to me. I hope Souths took Bath to the cleaners however, under contract and a transfer fee however.

I don't think he can learn the code in time for the 2015 tournament, he'd have been better off taking the rest of his Souths contract money and AUS endorsments and moving over for the 2019 RUWC.
Also his position isnt at centre, he doesnt have the speed and agility to play there. No 8 may be his position but England are stacked at the position.

Not overly bothered as he didnt seem interested in playing for England anyway.

NEXT!!

Are you drunk?

Paul Gallen has won the same amount of NRL titles as Sam. And he's 7 years older.

Ah, so you're a supporter of the principle of 'take no personal responsibility; blame everyone else'

Never read so much ridiculous bile. He *should* do this, he *should* do that, he's spitting in the face of the sport that trained him, etc, etc.

What a load of absolute tosh. As if the vast majority of people here would do anything different, in whatever career they're in. It's the sport's job to do what it reasonably can to attract/retain talent. If the definition of 'reasonably' has financial limits (in the opinion of the powers that be) then so be it - we live with the consequences. No point being bitter about the players' choices.

What's the alternative? "Listen Mr. Big Shot player ... WE choose the salary limits, YOU just have accept it, and HOW DARE YOU look at other competitions or codes, you filthy traitor"

Can't blame Sam for making the move, more money and all that, but it is a huge loss for RL in England We need to be building international RL around players like Sam Burgess, unfortunately we just can't keep hold of them for the long term anymore, mainly due to ex-RL connections in RU (Farrell, Ford at Bath RU etc).

Apart from international RU, seems like a bit of a step backwards going to Bath. He could have been/is an absolute superstar in the NRL, but I guess money talks, and maybe homesickness.

BTW, for those people slating Bath - it's one of the nicest places I've been to!

Naturally I'm gutted about this loss. SB is an idle for many RL players.

However, can you really blame him? Playing at a sold out Twickenham? 6 Nations? Meaningful international games instead of losing to Australia/New Zealand or the occasional drubbing of Wales/France?

I'm no RU supporter. I can't watch more than 5 minutes but when you see these packed out stadia, the intensity of games v Ireland/Scotland/Wales etc I'll be honest it makes me bloody jealous.

More money, more fame, bigger games? Absolute no brainer.