Eight long years ago, an 18-year-old by the name of Sam Burgess made his Super League debut in bitterly cold Northern England.
Burgess now sits among the top tier of NRL superstars enjoying the glitz and glamour that being a professional rugby league player in Sydney brings.
The Englishman recently announced he was returning home to play rugby union, with both eyes set on a Rugby World Cup appearance in 2015.
Stating he had an itch to get back to the motherland and challenge himself in another code, Burgess will have his bags packed and ready to go by the end of this NRL season.
Those close to Burgess can argue until their blue in the face that it wasn’t about money, but recent history suggests that those code hoppers that have gone before him all went for more than just a ‘challenge’.
Just like Wendell Sailor, Mat Rogers, Lote Tuqiri and Sonny Bill Williams, Burgess will be back in the NRL at some stage and he will be forgiven.
How sweet the day will be when one of these types admits that the money was too good to turn down. That yes, playing across Europe in front of massive crowds is a wonderful experience, but at least be honest and tell us all that the financial gains were the underlining factor.
Rugby league will survive without Burgess. In his absence, it will continue to thrive.
Yet every time one of our players walks out, we all panic. We begin to buckle and run to the mirror like a paranoid adolescent teenager vigorously looking ourselves over and asking, “What is so wrong with me?”
The fact is there is nothing wrong with us. Rugby league is golden. We’re sweet.
Rugby union experts are calling it a great signing and it certainly is that. Nobody is denying Burgess is an impressive athlete with the attributes to walk into rugby and conquer it immediately.
These rugby experts though are already using those two dreaded words all young players in that code don’t want to hear, ‘publicity exercise’. For every NRL star rugby union acquires, a young rugby talent is banished.
One less spot in the national team for them.
A dream kyboshed.
South Sydney owner Russell Crowe told The Daily Telegraph that Burgess had a burning desire to play State of Origin for New South Wales.
“In rugby league, while the NRL is the top competition in the world by a fair way, the pinnacle of our game isn’t a Test jersey – it is State of Origin,” Crowe said.
“Sam, by his place of birth, is prevented from competing at that next level. He’d love nothing more than to have the opportunity to pull on a blue jersey.”
Kiwi dual international Williams has also previously stated that he wanted in on our biggest games of the year. The exit of men like Burgess and Williams is the very reason why we need to keep State of Origin as is.
Why give Englishman and New Zealanders the opportunity to play the purest game we have just because they’re superstars?
Why take the dream away from our kids just because rugby union continue to do so?
Origin is one of many reasons why rugby league is different to other codes. Rival code chief executives have tried and failed to emulate the essence of Origin for years.
If we give in to the demands of the ever-hungry modern day athlete, we not only lose State of Origin but we lose another piece of ourselves.
Dogs Of War
Roar Guru
But at that point your presume that the NRL wasn't playing NSW vs QLD before that, which is not true. It's just that previously some QLD'ers had to play for NSW because it was were you played rather than where you were born.
HARRY HOPWORTHY
Guest
Londonleaguie, you are absolutely right !! Only the Australians think that their 2-State contest is the summit of Rugby League. Yet those very same Australians would regard their national 15 as the summit in Rugby Union, but not their national 13 in Rugby League. Sam Burgess is going to Rugby Union for one reason only, and it's certainly not for the money. Currently, Rugby Union has the broader international stage. That's the reason why he's going from one code of Rugby to another. Encouraged to do so by Andy Farrell, a former Rugby League player who made the switch at over 30, and clearly passed his best, yet after a mere 11 games of Rugby Union, he was in the English Rugby Union side. Now he's in the Rugby Union coaching set-up. Bath of course are also coached by a former Rugby League player in Mike Ford. Shaun Edwards , formerly in Rugby League, now in Rugby Union. Despite what the Australians say, Test Matches are the pinnacle of Rugby League, as they are of Rugby Union. Sam's going for the bigger international stage, and who can blame him. You can certainly blame the Rugby League authorities,particularly in Australia, for neglecting the international game in past years. Yes, there was a sell-out 75,000 crowd for the Rugby League World Cup, but that currently is a rarity in Internationals in RL.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
FWIW Pot Stirrer the AFL were first at the State of Origin concept, read Glen Innes post which explains in brief detail the origins of Origin. But that was not the point I was making in my post - simply its a NO from me to allow anyone and everyone in to the Origin game, if/when they do then its not Origin anymore and simply an All Star game with little to no relevance to anyone.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
Spot on Hughster
Alvin Purple
Guest
I agree the NRL should help more and I would like it so that the International games are bigger than origin but they are not. In the meantime why should the ARLC try to dillute what has been arguably the most successful concept for the code in this country anyway. It is up to the bodies in those other countries to develop their own backyard also. Look what the UK has done in regards to their Olympic program. 10 - 20 years ago it was the laughing stock of the world but now they are doing much better - at least against Australia anyway. Kids growing up in other countries may not be able to get into Origin but does this diminish their pleasure in watching it? Doubt it.
rob
Guest
It's no surprise the nrl wants to model itself after the best comp in the world
Hughster
Guest
Thanks Muzz and V.O.R
Pot Stirrer
Guest
Not Being precious SFM, Just so sick of ALF claiming to being first at this, Better at that etc etc.
Glenn Innes
Guest
MUZZ - Helsinki is even worse but they are bearable compared with winter up around the great lakes on the US Canada border it is so f###in cold if you lick your lips they can literally freeze together. England is mild...I Ilived their for two years it rarely drops much below zero the downside is unlike North America you don't get much of a summer either... it hovers around the mid teens most of summer and it actually seemed to rain more in summer than winter.
Glenn Innes
Guest
Up in The North - A little bit of history Rugby League actually stole the concept from Australian Football the fisrt "origin Game" was played in Perth in 1978 between WA and Victoria. Former QRL boss Ron McAuliffe attended the game and at it inspired him to push for the same concept in Rugby League.The reason it worked better with League was probably a combination of the facts that in Australian Football it was diluted across three states rather than two in League. Secondly (and the NSWRL deseves much credit for this) the parochial Melbourne clubs never embraced the concept players were always pulling out with "mystery injuries" while the NSWRL always supported the concept the VFL were half hearted about it. Last but certainly not least there were Australian jumpers and meaningful tours up for grabs in Rugby League but not in Australian Football. As for diluting State Of Origin by including players who played their first senior football in England or New Zealand that would be madness you would be down the path of turning the whole thing into an all star game. Origin is the biggest asset our game has it is one thing the AFL our main rival don't - messing with it would be stupidity..
Muzz
Guest
Chicago? I attempted to take a leak in Oslo whilst walking home at 3:am and almost turned into a woman.
Glenn Innes
Guest
Off topic but England is not bitterly cold more uncomfortably cool... if you want bitterly cold try Toronto or Chigago I still rememeber visiting Chicago in November and it was so cold my nose started bleeding.
V.O.R.
Guest
Yer well put...waited all day for someone to hit the right note...
V.O.R.
Guest
...do you want a hanky?
V.O.R.
Guest
eJ you should know that the very nature of State of Origin is that it polarises above all else and I have seen my fair share of NSW bias on this forum...as a great Queenslander once said "don't you worry about that". I'd just like to point out that you do my particular bias no service with your summation. I'll leave my real prejudice to your imagination. eagleJack....carefull, you spend long enough up here and you WILL turn.... ;)
Muzz
Guest
Great post mate.
Hughster
Guest
Ironically I think SportsFanMelb gets it. "Origin" is "Origin" because it has built up a mythology that defies reason and progress. The mythology of origin is what gives us "webke taking it up in the 80th minute as strong as the 1st minute", "Queenslander" and "Cattledog" as opposed to "playing out the full game", "belt him" and "belt him". It is a unique sporting language, a parallel sporting universe where natural laws of the game are bent and twisted beyond expectation. Whether it is the pinnacle is a subjective, perhaps irrelevant consideration. It drives derision.....it drives debate. It makes legends of journeymen (think QLD 1995) and elevates the great to the greatest (Johns, Lockyer). It unites us through dividing us. When NSW win this year the headline won't be "about time". It will be "the drought is broken". Victory will be celebrated. The cycle will start again. Love your work Sheek and you may well be right but for mine, its working just fine because it shouldn't be real. It would lose its magic if grounded in logic. "Origin" is just ......... "Origin". And thats OK.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Yep.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Who said Origin wasn't awesome? I'm saying international league has more potential.
David of Canberra
Guest
Didn't Adriam Lam, PNG international, play State of Origin for Queensland?