Report: Sam Burgess set to depart South Sydney

It's called TV. Been around since 1950. Has definately made the world smaller, in your case the jury's still out.

"That'll do me"

So let's assume that Sam is on $600 to $700k per season,(correct me if i'm wrong)With that in mind - If what you say is correct, why would they offer him up to $2 Mill-a-year.Surely if it means so much to him to play for his country in a RWC and represent them at the Olympics a more modest but healthy figure of around $1 Mill-a-year would seem fair and have him packed and ready to go.The reason is because it doesn't mean that much to him,hence they make an offer that is too good to refuse. Sam was quoted as saying " i will never play for another NRL club " that's how much he love's the Bunnies but money talks.

They still have SBW for one more year.

Agree, i think George is the best of the brothers.

With the number of fans from the other code ,having a dig,there appears to be a lot of skirmishing going on. Wouldn't call it a war,then again I wouldn't describe it as a Nimbin love in.Allthough there is some passion involved,without smoking the funny stuff. And as I enjoy watching the ABs style of play,I could be classified as a 5th columnist.Shock,horror.

Well they have had 100 years to do it(as an example).

No AR,it's like saying you (NRL clubs)rely on poker machines,whereas we(insert code) use armed bandits for charitable & community purposes.Therefore we hold the moral high ground.

And he could be a pretty good one

I'm tired of reading those bs about the Olympics. Rugby Sevens is highly overrated and i don't think "real" players will desperately want to play it in order to play 3 and a half games in the olympics. Honnestly even if they win a gold medal, it's still less money than playing an origin game and to be honest the Olympics are a great event watched by billions of people but it's mainly a good concept for almost unkown sports or sports having very little exposition in the 4 years between 2 Olympics, except for a few ones. I always read here that elite league players (and some posters say, elite union 15 a side players as well)wouldn't be able to play sevens because of all the specificity, rucking mauling, defending in open space blablabla... I watched the Las Vegas Sevens and you put Jarryd Hayne, Greg Inglis, Anthony Milford, Thurston, Fifita, Slater Cronk and they bash all the other teams easily. It's not even a skillfull game it's just pass, run sideways then side step offload and there you run and score. You got 7 guys that can pass, sidestep offload fend, run and kick a 5m field goal and you win a gold medal. However i have to admit my post is way off topic...

He is still representing a foreign team, think about all the Australians in the Super League who often return home. Do you really think their life's ambition was to play for Leeds? Put it this way Muzz, growing up in the UK Sam's dream would not have been to win a premiership in the NRL with Souths. It would have been to represent his country, now he got a taste of a big game against New Zealand in the World Cup, well if he switches to Union he can represent his country in the third largest global sporting event being played in front of a huge passionate home audience. Combine this with the money and that is his motivation.

Carl Hayman is also 193cm (6'4) according to ESPN.

Col - why doesn't Sam just deny it? Answer, he won't deny it because it's true. Crowe has given Sam his blessing to leave, but the Souths football club board hasn't. Crowe is putting the interests of his 'adopted' son Sammy above those of the Souths football club. Crowe knew about Sam and rugby union at Xmas yet the football club wasn't told. There are big cracks in the relationship between Crowe/Burgess on one side and the football club/Maguire/players on the other. That's one of the reasons why Crowe wants Jamie Packer from the Roosters to buy the Rabbits. Crowe and Holmes a Court want out of the fractured relationship. The Roosters already have their men Anthony Bell and John McGrath on the South Sydney Football Club board.

Carl Hayman must be 195??? at TH

SB will struggle to make the cut. Unlike SB, SBW has 4-5 years of union at the top level being coached by the best in the code (NZ). SB Burgess only has 10 months and being coached in country that has struggled to compete with the top 3 countires.

Farell didnt had more than 10 months to learn the trade. Burgess wont have this luxury

I haven't heard him mooted at lock before. That might work actually. Less skills to completely re learn than at 8 or in the centres, as I've heard. Besides, England has depth in the back row and alright centre, I don't think they have depth in the second row. It's essentially Launchbury and Lawes all the time

Umm Bunny looking down the years (40-50+ to be somewhat exact) I am convinced that Souths supporters actually don't really mind not ever winning the comp again (something that looks likely), gthey just want to keep in the "little aussie battler" mode -in there fighting but actually never winning anything -I think they are comfortable with that -success would probably clean out the membership -they wouldn't know how to handle it :-)

Col - I guess you are putting it all on the line here because if the story turns out to be true (which it clearly will) then it is YOU not the Telegraph or The Daily Mail who have no credibility,,,because just forty eight hours ago you casually dismissed the story as a Murdoch press beat up now you have splinters in your arse telling us to wait and see. I on the other hand stated that I felt the story almost certainly had kernels of truth to it - the credibilty crunch (not that in my eyes you ever had any) is coming like a freight train Collie and when it does will you apoligise to the journalists who sniffed it out or just continue to call them names because they are good enough at what they do that someone is prepared to pay them good money to do it.

Sam burgess. Wallaby. :)