Sam Burgess marked his rugby league return with a try for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, who beat the Titans 22-20 in a pre-season trial match on the Gold Coast.
Burgess managed 60 minutes on his comeback and looked in good shape, crossing for a try in the 55th minute and showing off some neat handling and typically powerful ball-carrying.
However, his comeback was marred by an injury to his brother Tom, who left the field with a suspected ankle complaint after a heavy tackle in the 58th minute. However, the prop is likely to be fit for the start of the NRL season.
It was Burgess’s first game back in the 13-man code since he was named man of the match for an inspirational display in the Rabbitoh’s 2014 Grand Final win and he said the focus should be on his team rather than his own performance.
“I just sat and listened to the press conference with Greg [Inglis, the Rabbitohs captain] and Madge [the coach, Michael Maguire],” he said. “Every second question was about me. I don’t want to say anything wrong but it’s probably a little bit unfair to the team.
“It’s not about me. I’ve come back to play at Souths but we need to chill out a bit. I’ve said before, I’m a small part of a big team and here to do my job like everyone else.”
Burgess was pleased with his own performance though. “The lungs were screaming a bit in that first 20,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald. “We made a lot of errors ... we didn’t make it easy. I felt it a bit in the first half but came through a bit stronger personally and as a team.
“I was a little bit nervous before the game. I’m always nervous before games a little bit, but there were a few more. It was good to get out there and blow off a few cobwebs and get a win.”
