Ex-England captain, 34, will leave his post as South Sydney assistant at the end of the season ready to take up a two-year deal as head coach of Super League club
Slammin’ Sam Burgess hailed his “full circle” moment after becoming Warrington Wolves’ new boss.
The ex-England captain, 34, has signed a two-year deal from 2024 – his first professional head coach gig. But it also marks the South Sydney assistant’s return to Betfred Super League after a 15-year absence. Burgess shot to fame as a towering forward with Bradford before Russell Crowe’s Souths forked out big money to take him Down Under in 2009.
The Yorkshireman became a huge hit with Souths famously inspiring them to the NRL title five years later before an ill-fated cross-code move to rugby union. However, following Daryl Powell’s sacking a little over a week ago, dual-code international Burgess now returns home as a coach. He said: “From playing in the Super League to having the opportunity to lead an incredible club, it’s a full circle moment and one I’m fully committed to and excited by.
“I’m delighted and want to thank Simon [Moran], Stuart [Middleton] and Karl [Fitzpatrick] at the Wolves for their courage and collaboration, as I look forward to returning to England to coach this great club. To Russell [Crowe], Blake [Solly], JD [Jason Demetriou] and the stakeholders at South Sydney, thank you for supporting me in taking on this new position. We still have an opportunity to play some great football for the remainder of the year and that’s my focus.”