I was thinking earlier today that Burgess could/should be in the running for Sports Personality of the Year. I can only think of Rory Mcllroy that's had a really good year, as an individual, with the Ryder Cup team a shoe in for team prize. Surely Burgess should make the shortlist seeing as he's just won the World Player of the Year gong in addition to his GF win?

If he did, I wonder if he'd be branded as a League player or Union?

Only blessing is that the Rugby Union World Cup is on ITV. I'd imagine the old farts in their tweed jackets will have to get their tv's tuned-in to pick ITV up for the first time.

Nah - won't be on anyone's radar. It'll be Lewis Hamilton if he wins the Scalextric championship or one of the gymnastics team from earlier in the year or I'd actually have a couple of quid on Jo Pavey or McIlroy.

won't they have it there already for Downton, or the re-runs of Midsomer Murders?

Another reason why they got him, they never really wanted him as a player, but did a typical " business" deal.

Incredible amount of publicity generated. He got in one day more publicity in this country than he's had in his entire career. The difference in levels of coverage between the two codes is hardly fair but Union provides an international scene which League can't offer at the minute. Israel Folau is a classic example: League is bigger in Oz than Union, but because of the better international scene it was worthwhile for him to jump ship.

Sam Burgess will be back in the NRL for the start of the 2016 season - I'd put my house on it. This is the worst thought out most ill conceived transfer in the history of Professional Rugby Union.

Sam hasn't played the game, he is RL through and through. Looking at the interviews prior to the GF, he is going for an easy life. He fancies a bit of lower intensity sport for a while with the possibility of some glory and plenty of dosh.

But the thing is - learning a completely new game in a matter of months in order to get in the World Cup squad will be next to impossible. He won't get in the Bath team for starters let alone the England squad. They don't even know where to play him!

The thing is it'll turn out to be good for us. This car crash in the making will put Union off raiding our game for the foreseeable future.

I'd be interested in the views of anyone who actually knows something about Union (I admit I barely watch it). Does anyone disagree with me - do you think he will be successful - and why?

I have watched Union all my life and got into League 12/13 years ago when I moved to Wigan and much prefer league. The main reason why most league players don't have the impact of say Jason Robinson/Chris Ashton who in my opinion are the only players to successfully make the switch is down to space and time. Robinson/Ashton went into the same positions in RU as they played RL and that allowed them time and space. The likes of Farrell, Tomkins, Harris etc all went into positions on the gain line where they have no space or time. In RL you get 10meteres all the time every time in RU the hindmost foot. I am not convinced Burgess will make an impact at centre, and I have never understood this mentality that second rowers in league make good centres.... they are generally not quick enough nor have soft enough hands to craft openings. Time will tell

Can someone put a marker on this post for reference in 12-18 months' time please (talk about setting yourself up for a battering ).
I don't see any reason he won't get into the Baarth team (as prop?), but I'd be amazed if he got anywhere near the England squad on merit (I suspect they might draft him in as some publicity gimmick regardless of whether he's ready though).
The problem he's got is that he's got to buck the trend, there's only Jason Robinson who's made the switch successfully - Ashton hasn't really pulled up trees lately & his early promise seems to have gone. Plus there's plenty of existing talent & Lancaster isn't exactly scratching around trying to pull a squad together.

That's interesting. I can't see him playing in the forwards because he'd have to learn a completely new set of skills, so it must be the backs. But as you say, he probably isn't quick enough.

Joel Tomkins' experience is evidence that it can work (to an extent). Joel was good enough to be picked for the national team, and that took some doing. But I don't think he was considered an option for the World Cup, hence his return to us. I don't think he'd have come back otherwise.

Do you think Sam has a realistic chance of success?

As for Burgess, who knows? He'll certainly have a much lower workload in terms of runs and tackles. He'll do well to achieve half as many of either as he does for Souths.

I'm not convinced his game is really suited to Union. In attack, he's largely all about punching holes and offloading. There isn't much of a passing or kicking game I don't think. Can his upward style of running work with both less room to build up speed, and with the defence contesting the ball on the floor? I suppose time will tell.

In defence, Union seem much more squeamish over tackling, so he might need to adjust his style a bit. It also seems less about the contact itself as in either forcing a turnover on the ground or slowing the ball down. Richie McCaw is probably the best defender in the world for that reason, yet you rarely see him giving anyone a big tackle.

I'd love to see him flourish as he's an incredible player with a fantastic mentality. Heck, he may do it through sheer force of personality, but there's one game that he's perfectly suited to, and that's League. I can see him perhaps being an impact sub from the bench in the same way SBW was.

What I meant was that he's not talked about in the same reverence as Robinson still is & although a couple of dozen tries for England isn't exactly shabby, I'm not sure his stock is or was ever that high. If it weren't for the swan-dives would he have been so beloved by the yawnion pundits?