Re: Sam Burgess is going to be different : Thu Feb 15, 2024 12:00 pm  

I think the BBC do a decent job when it comes to RL. Especially on Breakfast since their move to Salford.
It helps that players, coaches and owners are accessible. I recall Makinson and Wellens in the studio after the world club challenge and Beaumont in the studio prior to the challenge cup.
I can't see Pep and Haaland popping in after winning the world club cup.

Re: Sam Burgess is going to be different : Thu Feb 15, 2024 12:24 pm  

Uncle Rico wrote:

Decent segment on BBC Breakfast this morning centred on Sam, growing up Australia and coaching here, but also plugging RL in general.

Yes. it's not on a par with the fawning that they and the media in general give to the other code, but that 'little Mike' bloke did his best....it's a start anyway let's hope that the sport delivers.

Good to see that Sam has such a high profile. It really ought to increase the interest in the Wire from a few.

Re: Sam Burgess is going to be different : Thu Feb 15, 2024 12:39 pm  

Smiffy27 wrote:

Good to see that Sam has such a high profile. It really ought to increase the interest in the Wire from a few.

Unfortunately, outside of RL his reputation is as the scapegoat of England’s failure in the 2015 RU World Cup. Unfairly blamed of course, he didn’t select himself. Once he returned to RL he was open about what he thought went wrong at the World Cup and called out some players for their attitudes and commitment, and this didn’t go down well with RU fans who thought it was the usual sour grapes.

It’s this attitude to commitment and the ‘no excuses’ ethos that give me a bit of hope as a Wire fan. I don’t see us winning SL under Sam but I’d like to think he’s got a chance of turning the culture into one similar to Wigan.

[Uncle Rico]

Re: Sam Burgess is going to be different : Thu Feb 15, 2024 1:38 pm  

Wasn't our Sam ranked in the top 5 worst ever England RU internationals? Big shout and unfair IMO and yes eW a "scapegoat".

He was fast tracked and if memory serves wasn't he put out wide at Centre or was that where he thought he was going to play? All a bit technical. Mind you they got their own back with Burrell but again to be fair to him we took a punt on a loophole it didn't come off.....hardies

Re: Sam Burgess is going to be different : Thu Feb 15, 2024 3:25 pm  

Uncle Rico wrote:

Wasn't our Sam ranked in the top 5 worst ever England RU internationals? Big shout and unfair IMO and yes eW a "scapegoat".

He was fast tracked and if memory serves wasn't he put out wide at Centre or was that where he thought he was going to play? All a bit technical. Mind you they got their own back with Burrell but again to be fair to him we took a punt on a loophole it didn't come off.....hardies

I think they tried him mainly at inside centre & back row. Inside Centre is often the position that RL converts end up playing. There have been plenty of pretty poor players who played Union for England & I suppose it depends on who was doing the rankings. They were in such a rush to get Sam's hard running into the team & it was asking one hell of lot of anyone.

Re: Sam Burgess is going to be different : Thu Feb 15, 2024 3:31 pm  

Uncle Rico wrote:

Wasn't our Sam ranked in the top 5 worst ever England RU internationals? Big shout and unfair IMO and yes eW a "scapegoat".

He was fast tracked and if memory serves wasn't he put out wide at Centre or was that where he thought he was going to play? All a bit technical. Mind you they got their own back with Burrell but again to be fair to him we took a punt on a loophole it didn't come off.....hardies

Think he was ranked as number 1!!
They seem to forget they were beating Wales when burgess was taken off and they went on to lose the game. Yep, the WC shambles was all Sam's fault. Just another reason why I'll NEVER cheer for England to win a match in that code.

[Uncle Rico]

Re: Sam Burgess is going to be different : Thu Feb 15, 2024 3:36 pm  

To be clear my 'Like' for Moe's post was based on the Wales match fact rather than never hoping England win ha ha

Re: Sam Burgess is going to be different : Thu Feb 15, 2024 5:03 pm  

Moe syslak wrote:

Think he was ranked as number 1!!
They seem to forget they were beating Wales when burgess was taken off and they went on to lose the game. Yep, the WC shambles was all Sam's fault. Just another reason why I'll NEVER cheer for England to win a match in that code.

Absolutely. In an attempt to close the game out, they took of a solid defender and brought on a second fly half. Obviously we don’t know the truth, but Burgess’ comments after leaving Bath stand to reason.

Re: Sam Burgess is going to be different : Thu Feb 15, 2024 5:44 pm  

Uncle Rico wrote:

Wasn't our Sam ranked in the top 5 worst ever England RU internationals? Big shout and unfair IMO and yes eW a "scapegoat".

He was fast tracked and if memory serves wasn't he put out wide at Centre or was that where he thought he was going to play? All a bit technical. Mind you they got their own back with Burrell but again to be fair to him we took a punt on a loophole it didn't come off.....hardies

Union fans have a completely warped perspective on Sam Burgess. Its like how league fans of a certain generation used to laugh about John Gallagher being a flop at Leeds. But to union fans, Gallagher was an all time great player and a feature of a legendary All Blacks team in the late 80s.

Re: Sam Burgess is going to be different : Fri Feb 16, 2024 7:38 am  

Don't want to drift off-topic on this thread, but here is a short clip of something I never thought I would see in my life-time. Rugby League getting positive air-time on a BBC RU show... https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/rugby-union/68270718

Don't want to drift off-topic on this thread, but here is a short clip of something I never thought I would see in my life-time. Rugby League getting positive air-time on a BBC RU show... https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/rugby-union/68270718