Re: Sam Burgess Union debut : Mon Dec 08, 2014 12:10 am  

gutterfax wrote:

Below is a list of Aussie, Kiwi and English Professional League Players who have switched to Union in the modern era (1995+) together with the position they played in Union.
Andrew Walker Wing/FB
Wendell Sailor Winger
Mat Rogers Centre
Lote Tuqiri Winger
Timana Tahu Centre
Israel Folau Winger
Barrie-Jon Mather Centre
Jason Robinson Wing
Andy Farrell Centre
Chris Ashton[32] Wing
Kyle Eastmond Centre
Joel Tomkins Centre
Sonny Bill Williams Centre
Brad Thorn Second Row
Lesley Vainikolo Wing
Craig Gower Fly-half
Shontayne Hape Centre
Tasesa Lavea Centre
Cooper Vuna Wing
Henry Paul Fly Half/Centre

Actually that's a list of Australian, Kiwi and English dual code internationals not dual code professional players.

gutterfax wrote:

Professional Rugby Union forwards are no longer the lumbering fat lard-'rses you like to laugh at.

They may not be fat lard-'rses but many are certainly lumbering and have very poor skills. The obsession with scrums is a major negative in Union. Reduce the need for such strength in the front row and you could have a much better game.

Re: Sam Burgess Union debut : Mon Dec 08, 2014 12:46 am  

Him wrote:

Actually that's a list of Australian, Kiwi and English dual code internationals not dual code professional players.

They may not be fat lard-'rses but many are certainly lumbering and have very poor skills. The obsession with scrums is a major negative in Union. Reduce the need for such strength in the front row and you could have a much better game.

Indeed, although I don't think they could squeeze many more into twickenham on matchday. 328,000 over 4 weekends @ £60 each paying a total of close to £20,000,000 to the RFU.....I am sure they wish they could have double headers at wembley for a tenner!
Sammy's destined to play centre....talk of him "walking into any position" is just plain daft.

Re: Sam Burgess Union debut : Mon Dec 08, 2014 1:01 am  

gutterfax wrote:

Indeed, although I don't think they could squeeze many more into twickenham on matchday. 328,000 over 4 weekends @ £60 each paying a total of close to £20,000,000 to the RFU.....I am sure they wish they could have double headers at wembley for a tenner!
Sammy's destined to play centre....talk of him "walking into any position" is just plain daft.

Did you reply to the wrong post or something?

Re: Sam Burgess Union debut : Mon Dec 08, 2014 1:15 am  

Him wrote:

Did you reply to the wrong post or something?

Nope.
I responded to your opinion that Scrums were a major negative in Union with a simple stat about your opinion not being held by members of the Public who have just given the RFU £20,000,000 over 4 Weekends this Autumn.
I agree that the set/fold/set/fold repeat scenario is a blight on Union, but the reality is that we can only dream of the demand for access that they somehow manage to maintain.
The thread has wobbled if not drifted totally.....the bottom line is that Burgess will see less ball, make less tackles and may well be bored playing Union for the next 3 years, but I have no doubt that he will be seen by more people and have more money in his bank as a result of it.
Everything else is just RL Fans bitterness towards a code that dwarfs their sport.

Re: Sam Burgess Union debut : Mon Dec 08, 2014 4:55 am  

I would not agree that the competition Burgess has joined "dwarfs" Super league. In fact attendances are very similar and have the same problems as us with the smaller teams struggling to get over 4-5k in a soccer stadium. In fact aviva prem teams seem to struggle more having to move home several times to different soccer stadiums. Super league viewing figures dwarf the premiership

They still have problems even with more money and PR

Re: Sam Burgess Union debut : Mon Dec 08, 2014 5:00 am  

The Prem sides also use filler tactics like giving 4 clubs an 80,000 attendance to their home average figures. and strange rounded numbers to boost attendance figures

Re: Sam Burgess Union debut : Mon Dec 08, 2014 9:14 am  

I expect I'm not alone amongst interested RL fans in hoping that Sam Burgess gets a full game this Friday instead of just a fraction of a game off the bench.

Re: Sam Burgess Union debut : Mon Dec 08, 2014 9:46 am  

TR, you're right, when you compare the club game they are similar {apart from the geographical spread, the continuing investment into it, and the sponsorships that dwarf RLs}, but gutterfax was talking about the international game. I can see why you chose to ignore it. The mis-management of RL has made sure that we'll never have a national stadium and we have regressed to being a regional sport, both of which mean that we'll never be taken seriously by blue-chip companies. You can't have progression without serious money to back it up. I bet Wood and Rimmer read this forum and laugh, because there are more threads about what Union are up to than what they are up to.

Re: Sam Burgess Union debut : Mon Dec 08, 2014 10:41 am  

gutterfax wrote:

Indeed, although I don't think they could squeeze many more into twickenham on matchday. 328,000 over 4 weekends @ £60 each paying a total of close to £20,000,000 to the RFU.....I am sure they wish they could have double headers at wembley for a tenner!
Sammy's destined to play centre....talk of him "walking into any position" is just plain daft.

WTF... why are you incapable of discussing the two SPORTS without bringing crowd figures into it... biggest doesn't mean best, for various reasons... unless you're also of the belief that One Direction are the BEST band in the world.

Re: Sam Burgess Union debut : Mon Dec 08, 2014 11:11 am  

gutterfax wrote:

Nope.
I responded to your opinion that Scrums were a major negative in Union with a simple stat about your opinion not being held by members of the Public who have just given the RFU £20,000,000 over 4 Weekends this Autumn.
I agree that the set/fold/set/fold repeat scenario is a blight on Union, but the reality is that we can only dream of the demand for access that they somehow manage to maintain.
The thread has wobbled if not drifted totally.....the bottom line is that Burgess will see less ball, make less tackles and may well be bored playing Union for the next 3 years, but I have no doubt that he will be seen by more people and have more money in his bank as a result of it.
Everything else is just RL Fans bitterness towards a code that dwarfs their sport.

Yeah see I didn't mention anything even close to that load of drivel. I responded to your inaccurate list title and the point about Union props. That's why I assumed you'd quoted the wrong person.

Presumably you think any Union fan who thinks football is rubbish is merely bitter?