joe burgess

[TrueBlueWarrior]

How many youth players have we lost to Aus that would be first team regulars?

Overreaction?

[Wiganer Ted]

End of 2013 we lost Sam Tomkins and Lee Mossop as former juniors plus Pat Richards, all to the NRL.
That did seem a real loss of talent at the time, and still does writing this. OK Moose has returned.
Matty Russell went a couple of years ago then returned but alas not to us!

[TrueBlueWarrior]

End of 2013 we lost Sam Tomkins and Lee Mossop as former juniors plus Pat Richards, all to the NRL.
That did seem a real loss of talent at the time, and still does writing this. OK Moose has returned.
Matty Russell went a couple of years ago then returned but alas not to us!

Pat Richards was a Wigan player but nothing to do with our youth obviously!!
Lee Mossop went and has come back!!
Matty Russell was surplus to requirements at Wigan and is now back in SL!!
Sam Tomkins and now Budgie are the only 2, so I ask again, Overreaction?

[cpwigan]

How many youth players have we lost to Aus that would be first team regulars?

Overreaction?

Not an over reaction TB. The DNA of a Wigan RLFC fan is that Wigan should have the best players and win every game / every trophy. You may say, totally unrealistic but I will say this;

Whenever Wigan have been successful in my lifetime I have walked into any game v any Brittish club safe in the knowledge that is Wigan played to anywhere near their standard then they would win IRRESPECTIVE of what the opposition brought to the party! I even felt we could give antipodean teams a run for their money.

To achieve such a standard requires great players! I personally think Budgie had/has that potential. Rarely will you find a British winger so fast and so tall. We have lost a very special talent. Is Budgie the best RL player? far from it. At centre v Leigh he threw a shocking pass that should have been a 6 pointer but neither was Chariots the best RL player either but those players had that X factor quality. The odd thing re Budgie but the moment he made me say wow was when he tracked 30 yards across field to tackle Andre Savelio in a Wigan V Saints U16/U15 game.

The Australians want a bigger and bigger competition. They need more and more players. I have no hard fact but I sense a significant proportion of Australia families no longer want their children getting bashed by super fast maturing Islanders. The Aussies are going to need more and more young players. Sydney City spend silly amounts of time watching Wigan youngsters. We did damn well to fight off their bid for Ryan Sutton.

Is the fight difficult, of course it is but that does not mean we throw in the towel. Yes, at least the NRL = no Union signing BUT a Rocky or a Budgie are not playing for every British amateur junior team.

[First Try Tickle]

After last season I thought Budgie would become Wigan's Ryan Hall. He's quick, tall and has good hands.

So why had no Aussie team snapped Hall up, or McGuire, or Sinfield, or Hardaker.

They Aussies seem to come Wigan and off the player goes.

Only answer could be money, Leeds throw loads at the players above and until they retire they can't afford anyone. This season they can't sign anyone and could struggle to make the top 8.

There you go, a question and answer in one Post. Do we keep Budgie and Sam but can't afford a pack for them to play with, or do we let them go and bring the next guy through.

It's good for junior rugby in a Wigan, my lad plays for Cuthbert's and goes to Eddies so looks at Joe and thinks that could be me in 7 years.

Good luck Joe, hope it goes well and you return one day with Sam in tow.

[Panchitta Marra]

Heard a rumour at work yesterday that Dom Manfredi wont be far behind Burgess leaving for Australia.
Anyone else heard this?

[cpwigan]

When people sat why does Wigan produce so many good young players it is largely what First Try Tickle states, youngsters walk into schools and see future RL players still there and past ones on display boards. So the best potential RL athletes tend to play RL in places like Wigan, Cumbria etc. You go elsewhere and potential RL greats / legends never play the sport offering being pushed in other directions be it football, be it union whatever.

St John Fisher was the first school I ever came across where students would be playing RL in the yard at break and lunch. 999% of schools they play football.

[Owd Codger]

As far as I am concerned, Burgess like Chris Ashton has set his stall out from the beginning to make a impression and go elsewhere for more money.

He may have been outstanding in his first season, but over the seasons, there have been many players who have done the same but then faded.

I also think that at the age of twenty and with his limited experience at top level, he is too young for the harder NRL and will find it tougher than he expects.

It's not all about sunning on Bondi Beach!

Is the fact that he is going next season fair on Manfredi who in my opinion is the player to replace him, especially as he is a better tackler than Burgess.

Burgess or Manfredi, who should it be on the left wing?

[East Stand Faithful]

According to someone on RLfans this morning:

"Right. I'm putting it out there after speaking to a good source. These are the facts.

Not long after Leigh friendly wigan began talks with Burgess.

They offered him a deal.

Not long after world club challenge sydney roosters offered him a lot more money.

Burgess went back to wigan and said if you offer inbetween what wigans first offer was and what the roosters offer is, he would of stayed. But wigan wouldn't budge. It wasn't all about money. Cause he would have stayed at Wigan for less that what roosters offered."

Now that is the exact opposite of what Radders has said!

[Owd Codger]

According to someone on RLfans this morning:

"Right. I'm putting it out there after speaking to a good source. These are the facts.

Not long after Leigh friendly wigan began talks with Burgess.

They offered him a deal.

Not long after world club challenge sydney roosters offered him a lot more money.

Burgess went back to wigan and said if you offer inbetween what wigans first offer was and what the roosters offer is, he would of stayed. But wigan wouldn't budge. It wasn't all about money. Cause he would have stayed at Wigan for less that what roosters offered."

Now that is the exact opposite of what Radders has said!

According to 'someone on RL Fans' says it all!