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.

If he makes the next RUWC it'll be a farce (although I suspect he'll be put in the squad come what may. They'll want the publicity of a show down with SBW). If he doesn't (and the coach suggested he may not) then he's ruined his sporting career just for money. If that's someone's main motivation so be it, but as in all things in life money should be a bi-product of success, passion, whatever and not an end in itself.

Nice one Sheldon. Gallen is awesome and will be remembered for being awesome. You can go a career and win everything over and other again (Shaun Edwards etc) or be like Gallen and be no less diminished in the eyes of those who follow the sport.

Brilliant use of a player to counter the "he ain't won nothing" argument.