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.

Person changes jobs and career for more money or prospects or something else.

Mind you I doubt anyone who posts on here would do such a thing would they?

At a different level buying a larger house, faster car etc if the opportunity was there?

Nah!!!

Just wouldn't happen would would it

correct....just ask Jonathan Davies, John Devereux, Allan Bateman, Scott Gibbs, Scott Quinnell, John Bentley or even Ray French.....and many many others that went the other way, although the drain from Union to League seems to have dried up and even reversed since the slower, but more popular code went openly professional

When the gap in quality and athleticsm between the codes became a gulf it was inevitable the traffic would flow one way. If we can get a union player early enough they have a chance of making it in RL otherwise the pickings are that thin they are simply not worth the salaries they can earn catching a cold on the wing or getting stomped on by a fat bloke in union.

Can you name me one wallabie who would make either SOO team? Folau aside lol.

Now the truth has been revealed, and most of what has been written on this thread is exposed as pure poppycock. news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sp ... 330lf.html Sam Burgess did not switch to rugby union for the money. He switched because he wanted a new challenge. Rugby league could not provide that challenge, because its international game is too small. Nigel Wood and his cronies are perpetuating that handicap by their abandonment of licensing and expansion. The RFL, since the departure of Richard Lewis, has shown itself utterly clueless, and quite frankly, from a business point of view, utterly destructive of our game's future.

Now the truth has been revealed, and most of what has been written on this thread is exposed as pure poppycock. news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sp ... 330lf.html Sam Burgess did not switch to rugby union for the money. He switched because he wanted a new challenge. Rugby league could not provide that challenge, because its international game is too small. Nigel Wood and his cronies are perpetuating that handicap by their abandonment of licensing and expansion. The RFL, since the departure of Richard Lewis, has shown itself utterly clueless, and quite frankly, from a business point of view, utterly destructive of our game's future.

And the moon is made of cheese!

I don't believe his basic wage will be much higher at Bath, yes they have a higher salary cap but they have a bigger squad too. Union clubs usually have squads of 45 to 50 players.

The only Inglish r.union plyrs on big money are the ones who play regularly for England, I bet K Eastmond hasn't got much more than he would have had he stayed with Saints. S Tomkins is on £400K basic, he won't get any more than that from Saracens. Apparently A Cuthbert got £96K for playing for Wales through the 2012 6 nations. Nice bonus on top of his basic from Cardiff.

As much as it pains me to agree with Jean the pseudo Frenchman, Burgess has gone for the exposure........and outside of Sydney and the Yorkshire evening post, he will get more of that playing the slower but more popular code.

If he "fails" at Union (which I think he will) he can fall back into SL where someone like Mar will pay him a decent wage....if he succeeds, then he becomes a national hero........

...on the topic of national hero, I asked an English Union fan to name to 2003 RWC winning side the other night.....other than Wilkinson, the Neanderthal Martin Johnston and Jason Robertson, he couldn't name anyone until some KIWIS in the bar helped him out.....Burgess had better score a hat trick in the RWC final if he wants a LEGACY