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.

Nightmare to get in an out of though, worst road system I have driven in.

Rugby union has eight competitive nations rugby league has three. That is why rugby union can pack out stadia for internationals and rugby league rarely can. Rugby league players are excited by that huge crowd-huge stage excitement as much as the money they get paid for performing in front of such huge crowds.

And so long as [delVladimir Putin's[/del Nigel Wood's RFL couldn't give a damn about building up France -- by expanding the game there through increasing the number of French clubs in Super League -- France will never become competitive and rugby league will never be taken seriously as an international sport.

Depends which way you come in. Trying to get through London road is a nightmare - but if you go through Bristol and on lower Bristol road it's much less painless



The joys of having lived in bath

I had the misfortune of living on the Corsham side so I got world class traffic contraflows pretty much all the time.

Ah, understood. As long as France are competitive internationally it will resolve RL's long running second class complex on the international stage and the sport will grow to great strengths right?

Here's me thinking you were comparing France to Sochi by use of Putin's name. I know you guys are cheese eating surrender monkeys but I have never questioned your sexuality, only your bottle.

It would of still been quicker to go through Bristol!

I lived in the "rough end" of oldfield park, absolute joy!

Least he's not gone to Leicester!

first interview with stuart lancaster "good news for rugby union" no e. Please keep the union mob away from rugby league it was clear as day light they wouldn't hold back to poach somebody and now they have. forget this sharing ideas with England RFU they just want to see who's the next best talent they could sign.

Maybe league should now ban those who play Rugby Union in a similar manner to what went on printer to 1995?

It is a little ironic that some on this site are having an apoplexy as the roles have been reversed.

Any Stargate fans on here? The RFU are the Aschen Confederation

never mentioned about the players being banned more the England management, considering farrell and lancaster have admitted they was tapping him up during the world cup.

my point was more to the one way flow of players that happens now. Total reverse of prior to professionalism in Union.

Whilst I don't have any issues with Burgess going and with coaches tapping up from a different sport it would have been nice for Burgess to filter it back through the system as the timing wasn't particularly good.

Sweet Jesus change the record

Not surprised not bothered just the strange choice of Bath. I guess the RFU make sure you have to play in England to be picked for the national team.

It's like Godwins Law only this one is the Capdouze Syndrome. Any thread will invariably morph into a tale of French woe. I think it may be trademarked under the mental health act.

RFU have an interest re England representation - but the deal and all of the finances for the transfer came through Bath RFC - not the RFU. Other Premiership clubs blocked the RFU's involvement - as it was deemed "unfair" to cherry pick and place the player at a rival club.

Good business by Bath RFC - but nothing to do with the RFU. Please can we get that straight? Yes, Andy Farrell who is a RL man currently working in RU spoke with Burgess... but it wasn't on the orders of the RFU, more his own inititive.

We all know that. DubaiRL's comment might have misled you but we know that the RFU weren't putting in any money for this deal.

Don't get your knickers in a twist.

Im not misleading anybody, Stuart lancaster said today that the decision on how its being funded is still on going and that the RFU did approach Sam Burgess and he then asked his agents to contact clubs in the uk that he will be made available. Think you should do a little research before posting.

Quote ="dubairl"Im not misleading anybody, Stuart lancaster said today that the decision on how its being funded is still on going and that the RFU did approach Sam Burgess and he then asked his agents to contact clubs in the uk that he will be made available. Think you should do a little research before posting.'" Okay, So after a little "research" for some hyperlinks I got the below. Only Bath rugby are saying the RFU said they would pay the full fee, this story has been around for a few days now that the other clubs in the RFU premiership wouldn't allow such a thing and most of the reports are saying Bath have fully funded it. Didn't need to do research on something I have been following with interest. Suggest you might want to do a bit yourself. You did mislead him by your quote which stated it was RFU funded, which it isn't. www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... -deal.html www1.skysports.com/rugby-union/n ... -bath-deal www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... dream.html www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugb ... 33123.html Whereas this paper says something different www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... -deal.html

Quote ="dubairl"Im not misleading anybody, Stuart lancaster said today that the decision on how its being funded is still on going and that the RFU did approach Sam Burgess and he then asked his agents to contact clubs in the uk that he will be made available. Think you should do a little research before posting.'" Okay, So after a little "research" for some hyperlinks I got the below. Only Bath rugby are saying the RFU said they would pay the full fee, this story has been around for a few days now that the other clubs in the RFU premiership wouldn't allow such a thing and most of the reports are saying Bath have fully funded it. Didn't need to do research on something I have been following with interest. Suggest you might want to do a bit yourself. You did mislead him by your quote which stated it was RFU funded, which it isn't. www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... -deal.html www1.skysports.com/rugby-union/n ... -bath-deal www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... dream.html www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugb ... 33123.html Whereas this paper says something different www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... -deal.html

Quote ="salford1970"Okay, So after a little "research" for some hyperlinks I got the below. Only Bath rugby are saying the RFU said they would pay the full fee, this story has been around for a few days now that the other clubs in the RFU premiership wouldn't allow such a thing and most of the reports are saying Bath have fully funded it. Didn't need to do research on something I have been following with interest. Suggest you might want to do a bit yourself. You did mislead him by your quote which stated it was RFU funded, which it isn't. www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... -deal.html www1.skysports.com/rugby-union/n ... -bath-deal www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... dream.html www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugb ... 33123.html Whereas this paper says something different www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... -deal.html'" Stuart Lancaster has just admitted in an interview on sky sports that the RFU are discussing the payments, now i will take his word over any of those links you just gave. And I never once mentioned that the RFU are paying for it or even in full they did open up negotiation with sam burgess, andy farrell and stuart lancaster have both admitted it. Hell even Jeremy Guscott was saying that the RFU should sign sam burgess during the Rugby League world cup. So like i said your the one who has been mislead not me.

Quote ="salford1970"Okay, So after a little "research" for some hyperlinks I got the below. Only Bath rugby are saying the RFU said they would pay the full fee, this story has been around for a few days now that the other clubs in the RFU premiership wouldn't allow such a thing and most of the reports are saying Bath have fully funded it. Didn't need to do research on something I have been following with interest. Suggest you might want to do a bit yourself. You did mislead him by your quote which stated it was RFU funded, which it isn't. www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... -deal.html www1.skysports.com/rugby-union/n ... -bath-deal www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... dream.html www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugb ... 33123.html Whereas this paper says something different www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... -deal.html'" Stuart Lancaster has just admitted in an interview on sky sports that the RFU are discussing the payments, now i will take his word over any of those links you just gave. And I never once mentioned that the RFU are paying for it or even in full they did open up negotiation with sam burgess, andy farrell and stuart lancaster have both admitted it. Hell even Jeremy Guscott was saying that the RFU should sign sam burgess during the Rugby League world cup. So like i said your the one who has been mislead not me.

Leave Sweet Jesus out of this!

I was explaining why Sam Burgess is leaving rugby league. It's the same reason Wendell Sailor, Lote Tuqiri and Mat Rogers left (before they returned to the game that they love): a combination of more money and a bigger international stage. We could make the international stage bigger but Nigel Wood and his subordinates couldn't give a rat's bum about doing anything that would hasten that.

No strategic vision at the RFL.

Garbage!.

Burgess has gone for the money and the challenge of being a dual international, not because France hasn't more than 1 team in S.L

speaking of Wendell Sailor...he played I the media match at the 9's...he could do a decent job for the wannabees at 1 or 3 I reckon

I thought that Richie Barnett was so good, and so fit, at the media match, that he could slot back in at full back for London Broncos, in the manner of Steve Menzies or Brad Fittler at their respective Australian clubs. London would profit.

Triple M radio were saying yesterday that as he is an Englishman he had to be reassured that the 'Bath' in question were a rugby team and not a thing to be had once a fortnight before he would sign.