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Brisbane Broncos captain Sam Thaiday might as well have walked straight up to Sam Burgess and slapped him across the face.
If the South Sydney Rabbitoh did not need anymore firing up, yesterday’s headline in The Courier-Mail said it all: ‘Thaiday says George is the best of the Burgess brothers’.
Thaiday has not done his team-mates any favours heading into the Round 8 clash at Suncorp Stadium.
Although Burgess may not admit it, there is nothing that lights a fire under any competitive man like being told your little brother is better than you.
“They are some huge boys. They tower over our front-rowers,” Thaiday told The Courier-Mail.
“We are more the shorter [Thaiday and Hannant], rounder front-rowers.
“Their team plays a lot of football off the back of those two guys.
“I have been more impressed with the younger brother this season.
“He’s really stepped up and really taken that role of being a great young front-rower right on board.
“I think there will be some reward for him at the end of the year with a World Cup call-up for England.”
Perhaps George has overshadowed his brother in the opening rounds with his barnstorming runs and intimidating presence. But when it comes down to it and you put it all on the line, big bro Sam is light years ahead of his giant sibling.
Physically and mentally the Rabbitohs are a better team with Sam in the side.
Statistically George (818) leads Sam (789) by 29 in all run metres in 2013 despite George playing an extra game. Oh and Sam has made 47 more tackles.
The point is that Sam is a finely tuned all-round monster while George still has plenty of work to do. And the scariest part is that Sam still has plenty of improvement left in him this season.
Brisbane sit sixth on the National Rugby League table with a record of 4-3.
But has anyone really been impressed with the Broncos so far this year?
Against a listless Wests Tigers pack last weekend that boasted such “household” names as Shaun Spence, Jack Buchanan and Sauaso Sue the Broncos almost found a way to lose the unloseable match.
They were awesome early but faded badly at Campbelltown on Saturday night.
Those same lapses in concentration and execution cannot be repeated against the Rabbitohs who boast one of the most powerful forward packs in the NRL.
Brisbane might have won their past three encounters against the Bunnies and seven of their last ten, but there is something different in the air this year at Redfern.
It isn’t Mario Fenech and Craig Coleman beating their chests or the throngs of Souths supporters and their annual premiership song and dance.
This is an honest-to-god premiership threat.
Friday night in Brisbane, the red and green road show rolls on.
All the stars will be out.
Inglis, John Sutton, Adam Reynolds and yes even George Burgess.
And don’t forget one S. Burgess looking for a certain S. Thaiday.
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