: Sat Jun 27, 2009 4:42 pm  

Roofaldo wrote:

The problem is Sam has been asked to do too much for too long. He needs to be moved to the 2nd row or LF instead of being asked to be a battering ram for 80 minutes. I'm sure that next season, with the addition of Hall and the retention of Lynch that Sam will be able to get back his form and be put in a more settled postion where he can play his own game

Very true. A very young player excelling in a front line postion of prop raised imo unfair expectations for him to play 60 minutes in every match in that that positiion
Certainly not the finished article. Bulls coaching need to continue his development incrementaly over the next few seasons to ensure that he becomes the polished player that his promise deserves
Agree that his lines of running are now known and countered, and to add more skills to his armoury is just one part of the many things he has yet to learn, hopefully the Bulls can do this. He can be more than a battering ram.

: Sat Jun 27, 2009 5:22 pm  

Bradford fans boo'd when we weren't allowed a quick tap on our 20 in the first half, the reason for that was because Burgess was ambling back on side, he was a good 5 metres offside when other players who do a hell of a lot more work (Langley & Lynch to name two) were well onside.

I agree that he's still only young and was history shows that players tend to have a quieter year after they bust onto the scene, but that's no excuse for laziness and for shying away. At this stage of the season he shouldn't be struggling for fitness anyway!

: Sat Jun 27, 2009 9:55 pm  

yougengis wrote:

he's still only young

This.

: Sat Jun 27, 2009 10:46 pm  

yougengis wrote:

Bradford fans boo'd when we weren't allowed a quick tap on our 20 in the first half, the reason for that was because Burgess was ambling back on side, he was a good 5 metres offside when other players who do a hell of a lot more work (Langley & Lynch to name two) were well onside.

I agree that he's still only young and was history shows that players tend to have a quieter year after they bust onto the scene, but that's no excuse for laziness and for shying away. At this stage of the season he shouldn't be struggling for fitness anyway!

Surely last year was that quieter season though.

I just think you can't expect wonders off a kid in the forwards week in week out. He's not a battering ram type player either.

: Sun Jun 28, 2009 7:57 am  

To me a good comparison is Westerman, who has performed nowhere near previous seasons.

Re: Sam Burgess : Sun Jun 28, 2009 9:12 am  

Terry Monster wrote:

Moved-around-to-much
Expected-to-do-to-much

I don't agree with this, any modern rugby player should be able to move around positions (with the exception of a few out and out specialists). In Sam we have someone who can play second row, LF and Prop. Its not a massive test to someone like him to make these changes. The season when Andy Farrell propped for Wigan, big things were made of this, he said all he did was play the same.

I also don't think he's expected to do too much. Lynch you might say, is expected to do too much

Where I do agree is putting him left sided second row. He seems to have more impact here

: Sun Jun 28, 2009 11:26 am  

Needs-to-come-to-Leeds ?

: Sun Jun 28, 2009 11:31 am  

sgtwilko wrote:

Needs-to-come-to-Leeds ?

He went to Leeds on Friday night thanks. He's back now.

: Sun Jun 28, 2009 11:35 am  

debaser wrote:

He went to Leeds on Friday night thanks. He's back now.

Whens he out of contract? End 2011?

: Sun Jun 28, 2009 12:06 pm  

sgtwilko wrote:

Needs-to-come-to-Leeds ?

Not a chance NRL bound.