NOW that debacle is over, perhaps we can get back to enjoying sport?

For England fans, the Rugby Union World Cup was a painful one – for lovers of rugby league, the crucifixion of one of its stars seemed to make it even worse.

Somewhere along the line league and union die-hards took it upon themselves to wage war on each other over one man; Sam Burgess.

I feel for Burgess, his inclusion in the squad was a worthy talking point – sending anyone to a World Cup who hasn’t played the game for even 12 months would be – but England’s failure was certainly not his fault.

I feel more for those who have gone to great lengths in an attempt to slur the Bath man's name.

To bring Burgess' performance into the equation missed the point, to query why a nation where more than two million people play the game needs to turn to a player who has little experience in the sport may go further to explaining England's shortcomings.

It was an average squad, with arguably no world class players.

Yes, Burgess is a league great and would probably excel at any physical sport he turned his hand to. However, he was by no means England's best player, but certainly nowhere near their worst.

In contrast, if Burgess sticks union out until Japan 2019 he will be one of the globe's best – at six.

Warrington Guardian: SCAPEGOAT? England's Sam Burgess during the Rugby World Cup match at Twickenham Stadium, in London

The arguments between the two codes are age-old, the historical connotations ingrained in some people's thinking and ill-feeling towards the other inevitable.

Perhaps there is some irony, then, that as Stuart Lancaster decided not to select Burgess for England's finale against Uruguay at the Etihad on Saturday, across the city his first love, rugby league, was enjoying its showpiece at Old Trafford.

That those two games were in the same city, on the same day, sparks a different debate all together.

Old Trafford's Grand Final a sell-out, the Etihad clash a damp squib; but both sides analysing each sporting occasion on its merit, not for the whereabouts of one man.

That the England, and Burgess, bandwagon met an early halt meant the Super League final was the city's spectacle, while the rest of the World Cup can be enjoyed for the right reasons.

Skill, power, technique and passion – reasons we love any sport.

Now just to bin that awful song.

Trivia: The manager merry-go-round has already started in the Premier League, but who are the only four men to have won top-flight English titles with different clubs?

Last week's answer was '2007'.