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Sam Burgess could be a legend, but only in league

10th November, 2015
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The Bunnies' 2014 win was one of rugby league's great moments. (AAP Image/Paul Miller)
Roar Guru
10th November, 2015
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He’s not as gifted as Sonny Bill Williams, nor does he have the speed of Wendell Sailor. But Sam Burgess could retire as a bona fide legend of rugby league so long as he stays put in the sport.

Built like a modern-day Heracles but with the ball-playing skills of a halfback, Burgess could have been anything in union. Life is short though.

Burgess has revealed his heart was never in it. He wasn’t good enough. So, as quickly as England’s World Cup tournament ended, the next chapter of his career continues, back to rugby league, back to where he was the number one.

He now has the chance to not just cement his status in rugby league folklore to NRL supporters, but to hammer it in the wall for generations to see.

Switching codes seems the fait du jour for professional oval-ball athletes in the new millennium, but only a very few succeed. Sonny Bill Williams and Lote Tuqiri aside, Burgess was always up against it – let alone the tide of ferocious public opinion stacked against him.

Getting selected for England within 12 months of taking up his new sport would surely be deemed a success. All he did was put himself in the frame for selection and let the coaches do the rest.

Putting it simply, he gave his new job a go, has admitted it wasn’t for him, and so is returning to his former gig where he was very, very good.

Burgess is made for rugby league’s more direct game where he can isolate players in defence and in attack. A storied tale of a fearless defender with Cameron Smith’s energy reserves was starting to become a reality before he went to rugby.

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But often overlooked is Burgess’s ability to stand and offload in heavy traffic, plus his handy sidestep before the line. Watch his debut match for Great Britain and efforts for South Sydney and England in 2013: he still has these skills.

NRL halfbacks are doubtlessly twitching with nerves in anticipation at the prospect of stopping him.

He has arguably a greater chance of winning more titles in rugby league, and quickly too.

South Sydney slumped to seventh this year, yet still have a roster than should play finals football next year. Greg Inglis, Adam Reynolds, Alex Johnston, John Sutton plus his brothers Tom and George form a strong core, with a solid mix of Test and State of Origin experience too. Michael Maguire is still the coach; there is stability.

Burgess admitted to wanting to maximise the possibility of success in his short professional career. It is conceivable he will add to his 2013 premiership ring again in the green and red of the Bunnies before his career finishes.

At international level, he will step into the strongest England side of his career. A potential series win against the Kiwis beckons this weekend, along with a home Four Nations series next year.

With experienced Englishmen in the NRL like James Graham, Gareth Widdop and Jack Reed, plus his brothers, along with skilled players in the Super League – such as Ryan Hall, Zak Hardaker and Sam Tomkins – England has more chance of winning a World Cup in 2017 than the rugby union side does two years later. It’s just a timing issue.

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Can Burgess become ‘Burgess the Brave’, ‘Sam the Superman’ or create his own version of a rugby league action figure?

He’s got eight years’ experience at the highest levels and knows what NRL success tastes like. He arrives back when England are on an upward curve. And in South Sydney fans’ eyes, he has already left an indelible imprint in their minds as a black-eyed, bloodied inspiration that helped them to a premiership after four decades of heartache.

What more can he do?

Burgess admitted in an interview that he always wanted to be the best player in whatever team he was in as a youngster; do something special or extra. The scary thing is, he can become much, much more in the next few years here in Australia and England. But as long as he focuses on the 13-a-side game.

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