Burgess the king on two continents

SAM BURGESS was the superstar who almost single-handedly turned rugby league into a sexy global attraction.

He was the kid who was plucked from Super League by Hollywood giant Russell Crowe at the age of 21.

Crowe and his South Sydney Rabbitohs entranced Burgess so much that his three brothers followed him to the NRL.

But Burgess dazzled rugby-mad Australia in equal measure and he quickly became a regular on the red-carpet celebrity circuit Down Under.

Although he mixed with the rich and famous, Burgess stayed true to his Yorkshire roots, as Souths boss Shane Richardson recognised.

“Sam is as comfortable speaking with the Queen of England as he is with the average Rabbitohs member,” he said.

Despite the adulation, which was on a par with Premier League status over there, Burgess was never distracted from his true love – rugby.

His talent made him one of the first names on the England team sheet – a presence that spread fear among opposing teams.

At club level, his heroics in the 2014 NRL Grand Final have gone down in folklore with justifiable reason.

He smashed his cheekbone in the first tackle, with England teammate James Graham, but refused to go off.

Eighty minutes later he had inspired Souths to the title and earned himself legendary status into the bargain.

Graham, who is captaining Great Britain on their current tour Down Under, said: “He was phenomenal to play with.

“To play against, he was a nightmare – he never went away and he played through pain.

“He is an international superstar but he is still a lad from Yorkshire that you can sit and have a coffee with.” A brave – and some would say foolish – gamble to try his hand in rugby union backfired when he was made the scapegoat for England’s dire 2015 World Cup campaign.

Given more time, he would have probably cracked the 15-man code but the criticism he received helped send him back into the welcoming arms of League, no sooner had hosts England crashed out in the pool stage.

There he was again treated like a superstar, with fans recognising the true worth of one of their own.

The only thing Burgess couldn’t control was the shoulder problem that has plagued him for some time. Routine surgery showed up an infection that proved so chronic that Burgess, 30, called time yesterday.

Tributes flooded in, possibly the most telling from England and Great Britain boss Wayne Bennett, widely recognised as the best coach in the game.

The veteran, who will send out his Lions against New Zealand on Saturday, admits it was Burgess who helped convince him to coach the Rabbitohs. He said: “He was one of the draw cards for me in coming to coach at South Sydney. I’m glad to have played a small role in his career and I feel blessed that he has been part of mine.”

Younger brother Tom, one of the current Lions, said: “Sam doesn’t want us to feel sad.

“Let’s celebrate what he has done. He has made a decision for himself and his body. I am proud of him for having the strength to do that.”