A desperate South Sydney are confident of having talisman Sam Burgess available for their crunch NRL clash with Parramatta next week.
The hard-working back-rower managed just 25 minutes in Friday’s 30-14 loss to Wests Tigers at ANZ Stadium before leaving the field with a shoulder injury.
After being kneed in the shoulder trying to put pressure on Tigers playmaker Mitchell Moses’ kick in the first half, Burgess went up the tunnel and played no further part in the game.
Back-to-back losses have deflated the Rabbitohs’ season and they likely need to win seven of their last 11 to make the top eight.
As well as a tough draw, which will see them face Parramatta, Penrith, North Queensland and Brisbane over the next five rounds, they also have to contend with a growing injury list and the loss of star players to rep duties.
Michael Maguire will lose halves Greg Inglis and Adam Reynolds to State of Origin commitments against the Eels next week while Burgess is no certainty and Bryson Goodwin (broken hand) is facing a lengthy stint out.
Maguire was optimistic that they wouldn’t be without Burgess for long, knowing his loss would be a massive body blow heading into a crucial part of the season.
“He’s got a lot of pain in his shoulder so they’re still having a look at that one,” Maguire said of Burgess’ injury.
“He actually said at the back end of the game there was an opportunity to come back out.
“That’s a positive for next week and we look forward to that one.”
steveng
Roar Rookie
There were allot of refereeing mistakes (and Harrigan can say that Chechin is the best) but to me he made too many mistakes and was very inconsistent, this is why it gets a bit monotonous when you watch these referees do this week in and week out, what's the use of complaining, when no one is listening! Souths are gone for 2016 in my opinion and they have no chance of making the 8, in my opinion they will end up with 18 points, if they are lucky and they pull something out of the bag!
Squirrel
Guest
Souths are gone. Too many pretty boys
Mike from tari
Guest
I don't like blaming refs but I am certain that the bunker did not tell Chechin that the Tigers hand on the ball & laying in the tackle were different to Souths when they were exactly the same, I am having trouble relating to referees rulings, I watch as many games as I can every weekend & I cannot work out why one team has more time to clear the tackled player than the other, I know what a surrender is, ahhh what the heck I'm getting that way where the inconsistencies are getting to me and those people running this great game not doing anything to get the refs to do their job properly.
steveng
Roar Rookie
I don't think that they might even win those, maybe R25 Knights? They made allot of mistakes and you cannot blame just one player. That 100m try by the Tigers was just school boy stuff and the problems just keep mounting every week. Souths need new players and they need to play a totally new style of footy as their old style of barging big forwards is not working for them as they don't have the players to do that, even ex Souths Tim Grant was ripping them apart and had a better game than he ever had at Souths.
MAX
Guest
Souths MAY be capable of winning R15 Eels, R20 Manly, R25 Knights which means they have to win 4 of the remaining 7 against quality and perhaps in form teams. The Burgii have become ball handling liabilities to Souths and detrimental to team morale. Last night this continuing problem was amplified when Sam dropped the ball in a standard three man tackle and then followed up with a pitifully weak pass to the feet of GI. The body language said it all. The Tigers smiled and the Magpie in them prepared to fly. In my Canterbury heart I want Souths to be strong. We owe them one (or more) and it would be exquisite should the situation arise in R26, to block their entry to the final 8.
Red Dog
Guest
They should also be concerned about that grubby Brown character after his late , high hit at the end if the game .