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Sam Burgess facing suspension, George Burgess cleared

Sam Burgess' 2014 grand final performance showed just how tough he is. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
15th April, 2017
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South Sydney’s Sam Burgess is facing two matches on the NRL sidelines for a shoulder charge, however, his brother George has escaped sanction for what appeared to be an elbow on Aiden Tolman.

Rabbitohs captain Sam has been charged with a grade one shoulder charge by the match review committee for his hit on Greg Eastwood in the Good Friday loss to Canterbury.

The English hardman is being made to pay for his poor record with two non-similar charges over the last two years counting against him, with 40 per cent loading added to his penalty.

Unless Burgess can successfully defend the charge at the judiciary, he will be rubbed out of Souths’ next two clashes, against Brisbane and Manly.

Interestingly, Burgess himself admitted he had a case to answer, telling reporters that he was guilt of a shoulder charge.

Meanwhile, George was not cited by the MRC after he appeared to throw a forearm or elbow at Tolman after taking offence to something in the tackle late in the game.

Burgess struck out with his arm, however, appears to have been saved from a lengthy suspension after Tolman came to his defence post-match.

“There’s not much in it. You can’t punch anyone so you’ve got to do something else,” Tolman said.

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Asked if Burgess connected, Tolman said: “I don’t know. To be honest, I didn’t feel anything.

“He’s a big man. If he did connect, I probably would have been lying on the ground.”

George Burgess only returned to the NRL last week after serving a two-match ban for striking Newcastle’s Mitchell Barnett with an elbow.

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