George Burgess (rugby league)

Background

Burgess was born on 21 April 1992 in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. His father, Mark Burgess who died of Motor neurone disease, was also a rugby league footballer who played for Nottingham City, Rochdale Hornets, Dewsbury and Hunslet; whilst his mother Julie is a teacher, currently employed at The Scots College in Bellevue Hill, Sydney. His eldest brother Luke, middle brother Sam and elder twin brother Tom, are all professional rugby league footballers as well. Burgess attended Castle Hall Academy to receive a secondary education before becoming a professional rugby league player. George represented England against the Australian Schoolboys in 2010 whilst playing lower grades and training with the full squad of the Bradford Bulls. George was signed by the South Sydney Rabbitohs to play in the National Youth Competition and NRL in the future.

2012

In Round 13 of the 2012 NRL season, Burgess made his NRL debut for the South Sydney Rabbitohs against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs off the interchange bench in the Rabbitohs 23-18 loss at ANZ Stadium. Burgess played 3 matches for the Rabbitohs in his debut year in the NRL in the 2012 NRL season. In October 2012, Burgess also played for the England Knights team.

2013

In the 2011 NRL season Round 1 season opening match against the Sydney Roosters, Burgess scored his first NRL career try in the Rabbitohs 28-10 win at SFS. After the Rabbitohs 30-24 win against the Gold Coast Titans at Barlow Park in Cairns in Round 14, Burgess was stood down 3 weeks for smashing a car window with a street sign in Cairns, In June 2013, a naked leaked selfie of Burgess was posted on social media. In August 2013, in Round 25 against the Wests Tigers the Burgess brothers became the first set of four brothers to line up in the same Australian side since Ray, Roy, Rex and Bernard Norman played for Sydney's Annandale club in the 1910 NSWRFL season. The brothers played in the Rabbitohs 32-18 win at SFS. Burgess finished the Rabbitohs 2013 NRL season with him playing in 24 matches and scoring 7 tries. On 1 October 2013, Burgess was named the 2013 Dally M Rookie of Year capping of a stellar year for the Rabbitohs. George was selected in England's 2013 Rugby League World Cup squad. Burgess featured in the 15-14 friendly loss to Italy. In England's first pool match against Australia, Burgess scored his first international try for England, playing at prop in the 28-20 loss at Millennium Stadium. In the Semi Final match against New Zealand, Burgess late high tackle on Sonny Bill Williams resulted in a penalty that gave New Zealand the field position to steal a late 20-18 victory in the last minute of the game at Wembley Stadium. Burgess received the Rugby League International Federation's Rookie of the Year award for 2013. Burgess played in 5 matches and scored 1 try (4p) in the tournament.

2014

On 5 October 2014, in the Rabbitohs 2014 NRL Grand Final match against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Burgess played at prop and scored an incredible try in the Rabbitohs 30-6 victory, alongside his brothers Thomas and Sam Burgess. Burgess finished off his solid year with the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the 2014 NRL season with him playing 23 matches and scoring 3 tries. On 6 October 2014, Burgess was selected in the England national rugby league team Final 24-man squad for the Four Nations series. Burgess played in 3 matches in the tournament.

2015

On 23 January 2015, Burgess was named in the South Sydney Rabbitohs tournament winning 2015 NRL Auckland Nines squad. On 23 February 2015, Burgess played for the Rabbitohs in the 2015 World Club Challenge match against 2014 Super League Grand Final premiers St. Helens, playing at prop and received the Man of the Match award in the Rabbitohs 39-0 win at Langtree Park. In Round 26 against the Sydney Roosters, Burgess was placed on a contrary conduct charge after he threw a water bottle at Roosters forward Kane Evans as he was walking off the field to the sideline; Burgess was sitting on the interchange bench at the time of the incident in the Rabbitohs 30-0 loss at Sydney Football Stadium. Later on 10 September 2015, Burgess was unsuccessful in his downgrade bid at the NRL judiciary and received a 2 match suspension. The Rabbitohs later bowed out the Finals race after getting beaten 28-12 by the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in Week 1 of the 2015 NRL Finals series. Burgess finished the 2015 NRL season with him playing in 24 matches and scoring 1 try for the Rabbitohs.

2016

Burgess finished the 2016 NRL season with him playing in 17 matches for the Rabbitohs. On 10 October 2016, Burgess was selected in the England 24-man squad for the 2016 Four Nations. Burgess played in all 3 matches off the interchange bench of the tournament.

2017

In March 2017, days before the Rabbitohs season opening match against the Wests Tigers, Burgess was dropped from the team and was sent to play for North Sydney Bears in the NSW Cup after he failed to impress coach Michael Maguire in the pre-season trail matches and was out shown by the likes of youngster Zane Musgrove to the starting front-row position. Maguire gave Burgess a blunt ultimatum “Fire up or flounder in reserve grade”. Maguire also commenting, "It's about performance in this club and he knows the areas that he needs to improve on. "Someone like David Tyrell and Zane Musgrove have excelled in these earlier games. Each week we'll look at who we need to carry and this week we've gone with those two boys." In Round 8 against the Brisbane Broncos, Burgess was put on report for a shoulder charge on Broncos five-eighth Anthony Milford during the Rabbitohs 25-24 loss at ANZ Stadium. After facing the NRL judiciary, Burgess copped a four-match suspension which eventually rubbed him out to play for England in their test match against Samoa. In Round 15 against the Gold Coast Titans, Burgess played his 100th NRL career match in the Rabbitohs 36-20 win at ANZ Stadium. Burgess finished the 2017 NRL season with him playing in 18 matches for the Rabbitohs.