His time with the Rabbitohs may have come to an abrupt end this week, but don’t think for a second that we’ve had our last ride on Australia’s Sam Burgess rollercoaster.
The hard-hitting Englishman has been a permanent member of the NRL’s long list of walking headlines from almost the moment he arrived in the NRL, his playing prowess being matched by his ability to find conflict of all kinds off the pitch.
Being a ‘big personality’, as he was described this week by Wayne Bennett, who coached South Sydney five years after Burgess led his team to a premiership breakthrough, playing with a broken cheekbone no less, the burly brute who didn’t give a quarter when he boots had been the focus of attention for more than a decade.
This week, the Rabbitohs legend was unleashed in stunning fashion by the club after reports emerged that he was not aligned with senior players and coach Jason Demetriou.
Club officials did their best to put out those flames, saying he was being relieved of his duties as assistant coach to focus on the birth of his child and a move to Warrington next year, where he will become head coach.
But where there’s smoke, there’s a fiery Burgess as they say.
Former top dog Rabbitoh Sam Burgess was sensationally shown the door this week (pictured) after allegedly clashing with coach Jason Demetriou
His departure from the Maroubra training base early Wednesday morning ends an incredible relationship between Burgess and the Bunnies that began with a move to Australia in 2010 before starring in the drought-breaking premiership victory four years later from the club.
He played with a horrific facial fracture that night suffered on the first run of the match, but he would leave the NRL just a few weeks after to switch codes to represent England at the Rugby World Cup, proof that Burgess never would become. an average character.
But that didn’t end well, because the transition to a new code and new research was hard to accept by the voracious English press.
Burgess thus quickly returned to the comforts of Redfern, where he played four more seasons before his career ended suddenly due to a chronic shoulder injury.
Burgess and his fiancé Lucy Graham (pictured together) are expecting a child soon
Sydney gobbled up Burgess during his playing days and this week’s messy exit added to the dramas the 34-year-old often found himself in.
In 2018 there was a sexting scandal, of which he was acquitted, a highly publicized marriage break-up that involved legal action and allegations of abuse and harassment, of which Burgess was again acquitted.
In 2020, reports emerged that Burgess received medical attention during a drug-induced episode in 2018 and that a club doctor allegedly injected him with a liquid sedative.
That led to a lengthy investigation and in 2022, Burgess was fined $30,000 by the NRL for multiple rule violations during his time as a player and official at South Sydney.
It found that Burgess had, among other things, ‘breached the code of conduct by using illegal drugs in 2018, threatening another rugby league player in 2018 and breaking NSW law in February 2021 by operating a motor vehicle with traces of an illegal drug in his system. ‘.
Englishman Burgess (pictured with his solicitor Bryan Wrench out of court) has endured several legal troubles since joining South Sydney in 2010
He was withdrawn, but protested the sentence, calling it “grossly unfair.” However, the deeds could not be undone and, even though Burgess had retired from playing, his ability to stay in the headlines did not diminish.
Throughout all the turmoil, Burgess had the support of great friend and Souths supremo Russell Crowe, who got him back on track thanks to a move up the coaching ranks.
That was until this week when things fell apart spectacularly, with Crowe reportedly blowing the horn on the South Sydney legend when it became clear they had reached the point of no return.
“Sam and the club agreed that Sam has other priorities to work on,” said club boss Blake Solly just two weeks after the final, with Souths needing to win next week to secure their top eight spot.
Burgess (pictured with ex-wife Phoebe at the 2016 Dally M Awards) has counted on the support of his close friend, Souths co-owner Russell Crowe
His partner Lucy is about to give birth to a baby.
“He has the job at Warrington and is getting more and more involved in the preparation for next season.
“These are the two main reasons why Sam and the club agreed today that it is in everyone’s best interest for him to focus on these two issues.
“Sam will always be welcome at the club.”
That sentence could be telling as many people are convinced that Burgess will one day return and coach an NRL team.
The Rabbitohs have come out saying Demetriou will stay for another three seasons, but no official deal has been announced, with the club looking for new assistants as Burgess is gone and John Morris leaves for the Tigers in 2024.
Burgess will always be a hero to Rabbitohs fans after he braved a broken cheekbone and led his Bunnies to a drought-breaking grand final victory in 2014 (pictured)
Burgess heads back to England to develop his skills at Warrington, but those in the know think he’ll be back soon.
‘I don’t see why not. If he goes there and coaches in Super League then I don’t see why he can’t come back,” Rabbitohs forward Jai Arrow said a few weeks ago.
“I’m sure the big guy will want to come back one day, because it’s probably too cold for him out there.
“He’s used to the Australian weather so hopefully it will be good to see him back someday.”
There’s been a lot of talk in recent days that Burgess isn’t happy with the way stars Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker have reportedly been given preferential treatment, but it’s clear the former striker is well respected by those at the club.
“It was only a matter of time before he landed a head coaching role somewhere in the game. I will certainly miss him. I’ve missed him on the field and I was thrilled to have him back as a coach,” Rabbitoh’s hooker Damien Cook said earlier this month.
“I have no doubt that Warrington will benefit from being there.
“We talk about the presence that Sam has when he takes the field or when he’s around, and I think that’s what the players will see there. Everything he says they will take over and want to play for him.’
Things could have turned out very differently for Burgess had he been with Bennett this season with the Dolphins, where he could have learned from the best coach in the game in a new environment.
Burgess had a brief spell leading the Orara Valley Axemen to a Group 2 grand final in northern NSW (pictured) as he attempted to break into the game’s coaching ranks
Bennett coached England in the 2017 World Cup final, where Burgess was the captain, and the two have remained close ever since.
That’s why Bennett was eager to take him north, where he could have used his leadership to inspire the NRL’s newest franchise, while at the same time imparting his own knowledge to a man always destined to join the coaching ranks .
“We would have been great for Sam and Sam would have been great for us. Wise people convinced him that this wouldn’t be good for him, so he didn’t come,’ Bennett revealed.
‘He’s a real man. He’s someone who, when you’re in a tough situation, is the first guy you want next to you.
“That stuff rubs off on players. Players get that vibe. Players get that feeling.’
The feeling is that Burgess will not be lost to the NRL or Australia given his strong connection to the area.
This is a man who moved to the country at a young age and dominated the best league in the world. He has built a strong brand, been through tough times, won SAS Australia and is now ready for a new challenge with his young family.
The spotlight will probably fade when he gets back to Britain, but he’s a man who thrives under the bright lights and is one shock away from being linked to an NRL club that would be quick to get him, especially if he succeeds at the Wolves. .
The only question is how he would deal with the criticism that comes with being an NRL coach if he is thrown to the wolves too quickly.