Sam is a natural RL player. In Union he has no clear position* and is now designated scapegoat. Lancaster (an unusually non anti-league union man by english RFU standard) will probably go so he'll use a key supporter. why stay?
*I'll caveat that- he's far better an athlete and competitor than any of England's backrowers but realistically they have a lifetime of knowledge on rucking mailing n all that other dull stuff and so he'll always be at a disadvantage
Sam is a natural RL player. In Union he has no clear position* and is now designated scapegoat. Lancaster (an unusually non anti-league union man by english RFU standard) will probably go so he'll use a key supporter. why stay?
*I'll caveat that- he's far better an athlete and competitor than any of England's backrowers but realistically they have a lifetime of knowledge on rucking mailing n all that other dull stuff and so he'll always be at a disadvantage
You come at the king - You better not miss.
It ain't what you takin', it's who you takin' from, ya feel me? How you expect to run with the wolves come night when you spend all day sparring with the puppies?
did you even read the article? The only cheap shot was at the expense of the Union game v Uruguay being less interesting than the tory party conference.....I think the rest of the article, including the closing comments about blaming Sam for 5p plastic bags was pretty much spot on....RL fans across multiple forums have been so desperate to find articles blaming Sam they are seeing them in their tea leaves.
did you even read the article? The only cheap shot was at the expense of the Union game v Uruguay being less interesting than the tory party conference.....I think the rest of the article, including the closing comments about blaming Sam for 5p plastic bags was pretty much spot on....RL fans across multiple forums have been so desperate to find articles blaming Sam they are seeing them in their tea leaves.
This has been wonderful publicity for rugby league as it has laid the shabby union agenda wide open for all to see. When housewives who have no interest in the sport can see it plainly and joke about it, it can't exactly be difficult to ascertain. Cheers union.
Gotcha in 2016 wrote:McDermott is going. I actually think he is more relaxed because of it, and seems to have let the shackles go. He apparently asked to finish the season, and that is what they agreed.
Joined: May 08 2002 Posts: 9565 Location: 10 mins walk from Suncorp Stadium
The overall point that he is the archetypal league forward is the main thing to me. I'm sure if he perseveres with hard work in a couple of years he could get back into the England team as a forward. But he won't be anything like as dominant as he was in RL, and his legacy in RU will probably always be as a failed centre. Meanwhile his legacy in RL diminishes with every day he is away from the sport.
In the long-term he may end up financially worse off than if he'd stayed at Souths and remained the code's best forward, not to mention the whole clan Burgess rubbish which guaranteed media interest and potentially significant earnings from outside the game.
I said at the time of his signing that it was a dumb move for all parties, but mainly Bath, as they clearly hadn't looked at him on the basis of what he could do in RU, but what he had done in RL. The fact they brought him over as a centre then decided he'd never make it there (which should have been stunningly obvious to anybody with a knowledge of either code) is a damning indictment on his recruitment IMO.
The losers in this currently are Burgess himself, who has come to be a figure of fun, and RL which has lost one of its potential all-time greats. Medium term though RL may benefit as hopefully this will warn them off being quite as keen on signing RL players. Hopefully Farrell gets told to get stuffed next time he suggests bringing an RL player across.
I love the Burgess has failed line. It is palpably wrong.
The guy switches sport. Within less than 1 year compared to being surrounded by players who have been playing the game constantly for 20 years, he is selected at the highest level in union bar nothing.
On top of this, they can't decide if he is to be used in the forwards or the backs. So you have someone who has switched codes to a totally new sport, then a totally new framework (ie. new position, from forwards to backs).
He is poorly used by a coach with clearly no idea. Despite this, every match in which he plays he actually adds to England union's efforts and in every case as I can tell England actually leads when his involvement ends.
The side in which he played as opposed to him individually was miserable.
Burgess is blamed widely for "failing". You couldn't dream it up. And people just swallow it up left and right.
These are the same sort of twits who claim Jarryd Hayne has failed because he too has switched within one year to a totally foreign sport and is consistently playing at the highest level in that new sport...and what isn't immediately voted MVP in the NFL?
Get a clue of what is involved in these sorts of transitions. Then have a think about why rugby league players are able to do it so readily and especially quickly and the only proper conclusion is the level of skill rugby league players have generically is very high.
The Times suggests he will extend his contract ad Bath until 2019 because he wants to okay in next World Cup as flanker, loves RU and is settled there. All per Mikw Ford. Whether this is posturing to try to keep him or reality I guess the next few weeks will reveal.
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