Paul Ackford in the Sunday Times greeted Sam Burgess's return to rugby league with the message 'goodbye and good riddance'.
Burgess this week left Bath for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, the Russell Crowe owned club who he helped to win last year's NRL Grand Final.
A few weeks ago, we spoke to Dave Southern, the former chair of Rugby League Ireland about his thoughts on the Rugby (Union) World Cup, an event which he was not enjoying.
Today, we asked him about the treatment Sam Burgess has been receiving at the hands of the rugby union writers of England.
I do think he's been scapegoated and I think it is because of his rugby league background... I just don't believe he had the right guidance. I mean his club team playing him in one position and his country playing him in another position. It's been all over the place and it was not an ideal scenario to be able to launch anyone's career.
Southern is keen to remind those who scapegoat Burgess that England lead Wales 22-15 when he was whipped off the pitch with 15 minutes remaining.
He's back home. He's born and bred in Rugby League. He dipped his toe into another code. It didn't work out for him. I don't think he's got anything to be fearful of. He was asked to go and play. I just think how he has been managed has been wrong. I don't think Sam has done anything wrong.
People have been saying since that he was out of position and this and that. When he left the field against Wales, England were in the lead. They would have won had he stayed on...
He's tried it. It's not worked out. I think he's been handled particularly badly He's now gone to where he's revered, and where his family is, and where his roots lie.
Listen to the discussion below:
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/232112054" params="auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="450" iframe="true" /]
