Hope so

Letting Sam play for the Barbarians is like letting your partner have a hall pass.

While at the same time make Rugby League look like some kind of small time game before he joins "real rugby"



The media would not promote Rugby League if this happened, they would just mention how Sam will be playing Union soon enough after he is done with Rugby League.



Wigan and the RFL should never allow it to happen.

If he plays well then it's great publicity for Wigan, Rugby League and Sam. He has never even played the sport before, imagine if he plays as he can and tears them apart? He doesn't even play the same game, that would be a small victory for rugby league IMO. Let's be honest, this one game won't change his future, he'll leave in 3 years either way. Let's just remember, this is a Wigan rugby league player being chosen to play international rugby union, having never played the game, as he's that good. Rugby league and Wigan will gain exposure from this and for me that has to be a good thing.

Hopefully he only plays a cameo role for 40mins, imagine the uproar if he got injured playing in this game!

hopefully he doesnt play! he is a wigan player first and foremost, wane should have him wrapped in cotton wool until pre-season friendlies!

No, if we are going to remember anything let's remember he has supposedly just been made the highest paid player in the game and is supposed to be our player exclusively for the next three years. The fact he can leave in three years anyway has absolutely nothing to do with it.



You do not give players that sort of deal and then let them swan about in another sport that could get them injured. I hope it is just a stupid rumour but if it is not then letting him play in a Barbarians game undermines the credibility of any so called exclusive deal.



As to it being great publicity for Wigan I think you and others who suggest this need to get a grip on reality and realise it is the exact opposite.

great post and someone who like me is looking at the bigger picture.



How anyone can think this is good for wigan and rugby league I will never know!

He is playing.

One of our players will be playing on the world stage infront of a huge audience (probably in Wigan socks), everyone will know he is a Wigan player. Everyone will know the standards that Wigan RL have in their team. Our name and brand will be all over the place if he plays well. Added to the Saracens partnership we will be the only RL team that a RU fan will be able to name.



How is it bad publicity? Are you some kind of marketing/PR guru with knowledge we don't have?



Added to that it will benefit us financially, great stuff. It could also prove how much better and more skillfull our sport is.

Then Wigan are being utterly stupid. Announcing he is exclusively a Wigan player one week and the next letting him play in a Rugby Union game is ridiculous.



If this is true I don't think much of his judgement either. You don't take as much as a sport has to offer and do something like this. If he was fed up with being booed by Leeds fans playing for England does he think he is going to get cheered by RL fans for this?

I ask the question. Do you think the NRL/ARL would allow this.



do you think they would see it as a benefit seeing a league player playing under union rules?



If this happens then whole 3 years with no Union talk is utter nonsense! Also Wigan RL will not be all over the media if it happened. sorry but anyone who thinks that is living in a dreamworld.



Hope the RFL show some backbone and stop it happening!