TOMCAT wrote:I'm sure Sam will go just fine for you guys, his time in the NRL can't be judged an unsurpassed success but the worst ever signing tag is BS. Therefore I don't understand why you have to run down the current M.O.S. to reassure yourselves that your prodigal, is a good signing for Wigan. You got your boy back be happy.

Aboveusonlypie wrote:They have been constantly compared all season long by the media and by fans of both clubs. Where have you been?

TOMCAT wrote:I've been watching the treble winners and the best full back in Super League, thanks for asking . I didn't say compare I asked why you have to run down the current MOS to make yourselves feel better about the return of your prodigal son. HTH

Aboveusonlypie wrote:Yes we know that full back play is about more than scoring and making tries

The point about comparing Sam's stats with Zak is this -

Zak made fewer and scored fewer tries in Super League when he was Man of Steel than when Sam was supposedly such a disaster in the NRL. Even when Sam is such a disaster he contributes.

In fact his contribution in his only full NRL season compares very favourably with Billy Slater and Greg Inglis - the worlds best full backs.

People are not looking at this contribution fairly. His salary has bugger all to do with whether he was a success or not.

Wigan Peer wrote:

You hope.

MattyB wrote:Quite simply, he chose the wrong team for him to be seen as successful. I'm sure the money he got will make up for it though.

Can't wait to see him back. Still a great player - which is all you need really to cut it in Super League.

WARRIORCRAIG wrote:

That's the bottom line, he joined the wrong club. When Maguire moved Sam to FB he didn't just shove him there and expect him to work miracles. The whole attacking structures were adapted so ST got his hands on the ball as often as possible and in as much time and space as possible, and the results were devastating.

At NZW he touched the ball a lot less than he ever did at Wigan, and Johnson was utilised as the main running threat with Tomkins mostly used as a wide playmaker. It was effective, particularly in his first season, but they were nowhere near getting the best out of him. There were so many instances where NZW would get an attacking set near the opposition line and ST wouldn't touch the ball the whole set, that would never have happened at Wigan. I've moaned about similar issues with how he's used for England.

It's a bit of a side issue, but I don't think the NRL ever saw the best out of his personality as well as his playing ability. Had he joined a Sydney-based team he would have probably been on the Footy Show and other similar programmes fairly regularly, and he'd have developed a similar profile to what Sam Burgess did.

There's a decent number of opposition fans, in both hemispheres, who wanted him to fail before he ever got on the plane, and him cutting his contract short to come back is perfect ammunition for those people to say he was a failure. I think that's a very blinkered view. He definitely wasn't value for money, I'll agree with that, but nowhere near the worst signing of the year, let alone in NRL history! As others have said, if he'd have gone there, played his best rugby and loved it, he wouldn't be coming back, and I've no doubt he will carry on where he left off in 2013.