NRL: Britain's talent is pride of Souths

Sam Burgess's reputation has created such a furore around him that Souths have enacted a total media ban. Photo / Getty Images

Look out, here comes Sam Burgess.

That's what will be going through the heads of plenty of NRL players when the young British superstar sets a bead on them this season.

He's yet to play a game for Souths, but Burgess, the 21-year-old from Liversedge, a small town on the outskirts of Bradford, is already a sensation Downunder.

His deeds have preceded him. Deeds such as ripping the Kangaroos' defence apart to score two tries in the Four Nations final, or king-hitting Fuifui Moimoi on his test debut when just 18.

Burgess is such hot property in Sydney that Souths have slapped a blanket media ban on their star recruit. Interview requests are met with a firm rebuff. Burgess is off limits.

Souths are anxious to keep a lid on the hype, but they might as well not bother.

From the moment Russell Crowe invited the wide-eyed Burgess and his mother to the set of Robin Hood and seduced a player already rated by many as the best forward in the world, the Briton was always going to be the big story heading into the 2010 NRL season.

His selection as Souths' representative in the All Star game despite having yet to play for the club said plenty about Burgess's standing.

Fans might be slavering at the thought of finally seeing the English prodigy in action, but it's unlikely opposing forwards will be quite so thrilled at the prospect of the 1.95m, 110kg hitman hurtling in their direction.

"He is one of those that you know he is going to hurt someone, it is only a matter of time in every game - it is just his size and his strength," says England captain Jamie Peacock.

Having played against Burgess in fiery Leeds-Bradford derbies, and alongside him for England, Peacock knows Burgess's game as well as anyone.

"He plays far above his age, he plays like someone who has been playing first grade for six or seven years," says Peacock. "He has just got that special knack of being in the right place at the right time."

From the moment Burgess emerged as a 17-year-old at Bradford he was the man opposing Super League teams feared the most, says Peacock. Mob tactics quickly became the order of the day.

"We knew we'd have to do a good job on him and it would take more than one person to do a number on him."

Equally at home in any row of the scrum, Burgess is most effective at lock, believes Peacock. With Souths also recruiting David Taylor and Ben Ross to complement the likes of Roy Asotasi and Eddy Pettybourne in an awesome pack, Burgess is in the perfect position to thrive.

"I think Sam needs a good pack around him to make him shine," Peacock says. "He showed how well he can play in a good pack for England. He's seen for all his big hits but I think he is a really classy player as well.

"Souths won't be using him for donkey work. He can be a fantastic prop, but if you leave him out of the donkey work he can be the class act in a pack."

In terms of league pedigree, it doesn't come much better than Burgess. His father Mark was a pro for Hunslet and Dewsbury, while his mother also played, representing Great Britain.

His brother Luke is in the Leeds first-team squad and twin brothers George and Thomas - who stand 6ft 5in and weigh 115kg despite being just 18 - are on Bradford's books.

Sadly the Burgess story isn't all smiles. Shortly after seeing Sam make his Super League debut in a Bradford-Leeds derby in 2007, Mark Burgess succumbed to motor neuron disease.

"Sam was a young man with a lot on his shoulders," says Bradford coach Steve McNamara. "The way he dealt with that as well as progressing into a Super League player was beyond belief really."

Bradford's academy coach when Burgess signed as a 14-year-old, McNamara directly oversaw the promising youngster's development.

"You could see right away he had the potential. He had the physical attributes and the right attitude. You could see that the kid was going to be a very, very good player."

Just how good became evident when the teenaged Burgess announced himself to the world with a try and that staggering hit on Moimoi on test debut in 2007.

"We couldn't believe it," says Peacock, England's captain in the 3-0 series whitewash of the Kiwis. "I've tried tackling Fui a few times and he is strong. Sam just sat him on his arse. And he was only 18 at that time."

Already a finished product at 21, Burgess appears to have the league world at his feet. Having always possessed a burning desire to test himself in the NRL, he is also living his boyhood dream.

"He is a lucky bastard," says McNamara, the coach who agreed to let his best player leave with a year remaining on his contract. "He's got all the attributes and he's a good-looking bastard as well - but don't tell him that."

While McNamara is wary of the distractions of a Sydney footy lifestyle that routinely derails promising young players, he firmly believes Burgess will thrive in the NRL.

"I think he can be as good as he decides he is going to be. I think he can be right up there with the best players that have ever played - but there are going to be a lot of distractions and some obstacles are going to be put in his way and he is going to have to find a way past them," said McNamara.

"You have to err a little bit on the side of caution. The NRL is an intense competition for a long period of time and Sam has to adapt to that every single week. But he has met every challenge so far and I'm sure he'll meet this one as well."

SAMUEL BURGESS

Age: 21
Birthplace: Yorkshire, England
Height: 195cm
Weight: 110kg
Position: Prop, lock, secondrow
Club: Bradford Bulls, 2006-09
Souths, 2010-