There have been others before him and there will be others who follow him, but despite what people might say, right here, right now, Sam Burgess is the biggest transfer deal of the season, bar none.
He will follow the likes of Jason Robinson and Andy Farrell in making the move from Rugby League to Rugby Union, and already the great debate has started on where he should play. Should he play No. 8, should he play centre, or should he play wing? As with all things time will tell his best spot.
History certainly proves that Rugby League players are better suited to the backs, because lets be honest the most technically complex part of the game is in the pack, whether it be controlling the ball at the No. 8, lifting in the lineout or pushing in the scrum, and let’s not forget about clearing rucks and mauls. Andy Farrell struggled with the conversion to forward, not because he wasn’t talented or athletic enough, far from it. The one thing he did not have on his side was time. Farrell did not have the time to learn how to play those roles. Most Premiership back rows have played there for ten or more years and that experience is always going to give them the edge over a novice in certain important areas and parts of the game.
What is interesting is that historically the most successful conversions from league to union tend to occur at centre. We see that the great Andy Farrell managed it, and so has Kyle Eastmond. Perhaps most significantly in this situation though is the succesful conversion of Sonny Bill Williams. If Burgess wants to look to a real comparison for his physique and abilities he really does compare well with SBW.
But here in lies the problem, it took SBW two years to really settle into Union and four before he really became the player that left everybody flabbergasted with his ability. So is the 2015 World Cup a realistic goal for Sam Burgess? Who knows really? This is going to come down to how well he gels at Bath and how well he works with Mike Ford, who just as a point of note is an ex-league player himself. It also depends on his ability to learn new tricks and quickly as league players have always struggled at the start with the breakdown area and releasing the ball.
But why is this move such a big deal? Well put simply Burgess is probably in the top five names in Rugby League, globally. In my opinion only SBW is a bigger name, and you only have to watch a few YouTube clips to see who is the harder hitter of the two.
As an England fan, and rugby fan I really want this conversion to work. Burgess really could be the spark that this young side are missing in the centres. Ford and Lancaster should forget about seeing where he is best suited, right here and right now both teams could do with a centre like him. Personally I think he is better suited to 13, similarly to SBW, where his pace and power can have a bigger impact just outside the clutches of scrambling openside flankers.
Either way, watch this space, I think he’ll make the World Cup squad but the starting line up might be asking too much, too soon of him.
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