also left for the challenge as they were given the opportunity too.

Both will be a massive loss to the product that is Super League. Both clubs have lost a creator, magician and a leader. Who will Sky turn to now for a focal point of SL?

Whilst Sam and Lee were/are outstanding players they would be the first to admit that they could do nothing without the work of team mates.

Sky would do well to market the sport as a TEAM game not concentrate on individuals (i.e Wigan Warriors is one of the great clubs in world sport not just in rugby league and Saints/Leeds are not far behind). There doesn't need to be a focal point. The breath of fresh air that is Premier Sports recognises this and has managed to show each game in a positive light regardless of whether there are superstars playing or not.

Some of the best and most entertaining rugby in this world cup has been played by teams from which we would have been hard pressed to name any individual (before the tournament). The record crowds, many of whom have never heard of Sam Tomkins -sounds unbelievable, but I think true- suggest that there is a market for RL in this country.

I think you are right about the world cup suggesting there is a market for RL in this country. A big reason for that is the great games we have seen which has probably surprised quite a few people.

I remember when RU started to include teams from all over the place in their world cup and they got blow-out scores not competitive games. Now granted we may get one on Saturday when Aus take on the USA (I am going to that one by the way) but I think the games so far have been great and a real eye-opener for many to what a great sport this is.

I hope BT are watching and lining up a huge bid for the right to broadcast the sport!

This market we see for the game is also why IL needs to succeed in his power struggle with Hethrington and Wood ( I was going to say with the RFL but they run it...). We can't let this opportunity be tossed away by a those running the game currently.

They have done a good job with the WC but commercially they have been inept for too long for this to get them off the hook.

Where I would disagree with you though is over the importance of individuals. They are key to getting people interested in new sports IMO and are key to marketing. People know who Bradley Wiggins is but will have no clue who "Team Sky" are and may not even know he does actually race for a team.

Sam could have been a household name here[i if[/i any momentum following on from a successful world cup were to be maintained by those running the game.

Sports need their superstars to attract people to them. J Wilkinson in RU, Wiggins, Tomkins - kids want to emulate these people.

So in that respect Tomkins going to the NRL is a loss to our game here.

One way it would not be so bad is if we had more internationals to keep his name in the frame. This WC has shown me that while many see the club game as the pinnacle it really isn't. I never viewed it as such when I was watching Elllery and Co try and beat the Aussies at the height of Wigan's success in the 80's and 90's and the way this tournament is going makes me think the same now.

Fair point about individuals.

I suppose that it gets my goat the way Sky continually pick out individuals from a team game. They also over emphasize the role of the coach.

Cycling is slightly different - a bit like cricket in that it is basically an individual performance within a team framework. Rugby is a genuine team game as we know. Sean O'Loughlin will NEVER get the credit he deserves, because he is a genuine team player, but not perhaps superstar material.

Sam wouldn't be a super star if he was playing at London Broncos. He only flourishes within a team that plays to his strengths. Look how he's struggling with England at the moment, which I think is more down to the fact that Chase, Watkins and Cudjoe really don't know how to pass QUICKLY. But that's probably for another thread!

The NRL are in discussion to shut down the league for 3 weeks for a dedicated SOO tournament. This is ideal for creating an international 3 week 6 nations on both sides of the world.
England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy.
New Zealand, PNG, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Cook Islands.

5 venues triple headed with all SL and NRL based players available for selection for their countries.

It's a dream, a very doable easy dream, but something I'd really look forward to ergo won't ever happen.

Forgive my ignorance, but how can you do a 6 nations in 3 weeks?

Ok just say Saturday was the first of the month, you could realistically play to Sunday the 23rd of same month.

5 games all triple headed means only needing to find 5 days in those 23 days.

Saturday 1st game 1
4day
Wednesday 5th game 2
4day
Sunday 9th game 3
6days
Saturday 15th game 4
7 days
Saturday 22nd game 5

Triple head keeps costs down, crowds up and makes it a day out, the only problem is the Wednesday fixture, 3 games on a school night is difficult. So that could be split to indivdual fixtures, or a double head and a single fixture in France (France v Italy).

It's very doable

Game 1 DW
Game 2 Wrexham (England v Scotland, Wales v Ireland) Perpignan (France v Italy)
Game 3 Hull
Game 4 Cardiff FC
Game 5 Hudds

Italy, Scotland and Ireland get games when the sport has grown in their respective countries. Just an idea on venues but gives an outlook.

Debbie did Dallas in 90 mins. 6 nations in 3 weeks should be a breeze...

Link?

The bigger loss is Briers. A young and fresh player at the prime of his career who was wanted by union and the top clubs in the NRL and was regarded as the best rugby league player in the northern hemisphere. Tomkins is a once good player who was now past his prime. I think I've got that the right way round anyway.

So we've established from this thread so far that Wire fans think Briers and Wigan fans think Sam.

Wigan fans are sick for being glad to see the back of a rivals best player, whilst Wire fans being glad to see the back of Sam are justified because he went for money.

So to sum up, nothings changed in the Wigan v Wire d!ck measuring contest.

Apart from we have both got smaller ones than we did with those players still here.