www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/o ... er-of-year well deserved.

www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/o ... er-of-year well deserved.

Fully deserved amazing player.

Gutted he has gone to union but as some people may know the Burgess brothers are friends with Kelvin Fletcher who plays Andy in emmerdale and my mate heard from Kelvin that the main reason he left for union is simply to give his body a rest.

Hopefully after two and a half years of boredom in rugby union, he will return to rugby league refreshed and eager to play. My hunch is that he will reject offers from Salford and Dewsbury, and return to the back row at South Sydney.

Makes sense. A rugby union player who hasn't played an international game this year is the obvious candidate for Rugby League International Player of the year.

I'm glad they didn't wait until after the major international competition of the year to dish out these awards, or it could have gone to someone undeserved.

Sam even stated in an interview that his body wouldn't last till he was 30 if he stayed in the NRL - he will do 2 years of Union and give his body a rest then go back to Souths

It is important that Samuel Burgess is available to play for England in the 2017 World Cup, at that time at age 28, playing alongside the by then 32 year old prop James Graham, and his still young twin brother props George and Thomas.

Not another British player being a roaring success in the NRL? Damn, we'd all been living under the assumption that they were all rubbish, or well at least some kept on trying to tell us that for the past decade and longer.

I wonder who will win Brighouse's Golden Boot award now that Sinfield has internationally retired?

Danny Brough perhaps?

Don't be so cynical.

My guess is that it will be between: Gregory Inglis, Daly Cherry-Evans, Cooper Cronk, Shaun Johnson, Kieran Foran, James Graham, and Darryl Clark -- depending on who stars for the winning team, especially in the final.

Hardly anyone will care because...

... [url=http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2014/oct/24/rugby-leagues-international-failure-is-spectacular#start-of-commentsInternational RL is a shambles[/url.

It is a shambles. And most of the blame belongs to Nigel Wood and the RFL who have abandoned development of the game in France.

By contrast the NRL admin has already brought a PNG team into the Queensland Cup, and has invited a Fijian team into the NSW Cup for 2016.

What I think we've lost is the connection between the club fan and the international scene, somewhat brought about by the lack of a full tour schedule.

Upto 1994 it was great to see your club team play against the Aussies, and really built up the excitement for the test matches.