Tom Burgess (rugby league) explained

Tom Burgess
Fullname:Thomas Burgess
Birth Date:21 April 1992
Birth Place:Dewsbury, England
Height:196cm (77inches)[1]
Weight:120kg (270lb)[2]
Club1:Bradford Bulls
Year1start:2011
Year1end:12
Appearances1:45
Tries1:4
Goals1:0
Fieldgoals1:0
Points1:16
Club2:South Sydney
Year2start:2013
Year2end:24
Appearances2:246
Tries2:21
Goals2:0
Fieldgoals2:0
Points2:84
Club3:Huddersfield Giants
Year3start:2025
Appearances3:0
Tries3:0
Goals3:0
Fieldgoals3:0
Points3:0
Teama:England Knights
Yearastart:2012
Appearancesa:2
Triesa:2
Goalsa:0
Fieldgoalsa:0
Pointsa:8
Teamb:England
Yearbstart:2013
Yearbend:22
Appearancesb:29
Triesb:8
Goalsb:0
Fieldgoalsb:0
Pointsb:32
Teamc:World All Stars
Yearcstart:2016
Appearancesc:1
Triesc:0
Goalsc:0
Fieldgoalsc:0
Pointsc:0
Teamd:Great Britain
Yeardstart:2019
Appearancesd:4
Triesd:0
Goalsd:0
Fieldgoalsd:0
Pointsd:0
Retired:no
Source:[3] [4]
Updated:17 August 2024

Thomas Burgess (born 21 April 1992) is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NRL. He has played for the England Knights, England and Great Britain at international level.

Burgess previously played for the Bradford Bulls in the Super League and has played for the World All Stars. He played in the Rabbitohs 2014 NRL Grand Final winning team alongside his twin brother George Burgess, and older brother Sam Burgess. Burgess is also the younger brother of retired rugby league footballer Luke Burgess.

Background

Burgess was born on 21 April 1992 in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England. His father, Mark Burgess who died of Motor neurone disease, was also a rugby league footballer who played for Nottingham City, Rochdale Hornets, Dewsbury Rams and Hunslet;[5] while his mother Julie is a teacher, currently employed at The Scots College in Bellevue Hill, Sydney.[6] Burgess is brother of Luke, and fellow South Sydney Rabbitohs players Sam, and twin-brother George.[7] Burgess attended Castle Hall Academy to receive a secondary education before becoming a professional rugby league footballer. He played his junior rugby league for Dewsbury Moor.[8]

Burgess was a product of the Leeds Rhinos junior development system, before moving onto the Bradford Bulls.

Playing career

2011

Burgess first featured in three of the four pre-season friendlies of the 2011 season, playing against Halifax, the Dewsbury Rams and the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. He made his Super League début in Round 8 against the London Broncos off the interchange bench in the Bradford Bulls' 24-22 win.[9] In Round 20 against the Catalans Dragons, Burgess scored his first Super League try in the Bradford Bulls' 34-28 loss.[10] Burgess also played in both Challenge Cup games against Halifax and Wigan Warriors, scoring against Halifax. He played in 20 matches and scored 2 tries in 2011.

2012

On 6 August, it was announced that Burgess had signed a one-year deal with the South Sydney Rabbitohs for 2013, joining brothers Sam, Luke and George.[11] Burgess scored one try from 25 matches for the season. He was selected in the England Knights squad for the 2012 European Cup. Burgess made his Knights début in the 56–4 win over Ireland scoring a try in the process. In this competition he also featured in the 62–24 win over Scotland.

2013

In Round 15, Burgess made his NRL début for South Sydney against the Parramatta Eels, playing off the interchange bench in the 30-10 win at ANZ Stadium.[12] In August, 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. South Sydney won 32-18 at SFS.[13] Burgess finished his début year in the NRL with 9 appearances. He joined England's 24-man squad for the World Cup,[14] and played in 2 matches.

2014

Burgess returned to first grade in Round 11.[15] In Round 21 against the Newcastle Knights at Barlow Park in Cairns, Burgess scored his first NRL try in South Sydney's smashing 50-10 win.[16] On 5 October, in South Sydney's 2014 NRL Grand Final against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Burgess played off the interchange bench in the club's 30-6 victory alongside his brothers George and Sam Burgess.[17] Burgess finished the season with one try from 17 matches . Burgess was selected in the English final 24-man squad for the Four Nations series,[18] and played in all 3 matches of the tournament.

2015

On 23 February, Burgess played for South Sydney in the 2015 World Club Challenge match against 2014 Super League Grand Final premiers St. Helens, playing off the interchange bench in the 39-0 win at Langtree Park.[19] Burgess extended his contract with the Rabbitohs to the end of the 2017 season after scoring 2 tries from his 24 appearances.[20] Burgess scored his first international try in England's 84-4 shellacking win over France at Leigh.[21] He then played in the end of year test series against New Zealand,[22] appearing in all 3 matches off the interchange bench in England's 2-1 Baskerville Shield series win.[23] In December, Burgess trialled and trained with NFL teams the Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills after he attracted interest from the clubs.[24] [25]

2016

In February 2016, Burgess played in South Sydney's Auckland Nines squad,[26] On 13 February 2016, Burgess played for the World All Stars against the Indigenous All Stars in the 2016 All Stars match, starting at prop in the 12-8 win at Suncorp Stadium.[27] After missing the first 4 rounds due to injury, in Round 5 against the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, Burgess made his return to the South Sydney team, playing off the interchange bench in the 16-12 win at Brookvale Oval.[28] In July 2016, it was rumoured that Burgess was being offloaded to other clubs in a clean-out overhaul in their underperforming roster.[29]

Burgess finished the 2016 NRL season with him playing in 19 matches for South Sydney. At the end of the season, Tom was selected in England's 24-man squad for the 2016 Four Nations.[30] Before the tournament began, England played a test match against France in which Burgess scored his second international try in England's 40-6 win.[31] Burgess played in all 3 matches off the interchange bench of the tournament.

2017

On 6 May 2017, Burgess played for England in the test against Samoa, playing off the interchange bench in the 30-10 win at Campbelltown Stadium.[32]

Burgess finished the 2017 NRL season with him playing in 22 matches for the South Sydney club.

In October 2017 he was selected in the England squad for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.[33] Burgess played in The World Cup final against Australia and made two crucial errors towards the end of the game in which Australia came out victorious 6-0.

On 6 December 2017, Burgess signed an extension contract with Souths keeping him at the club until the end of 2019.[34] [35]

2018

Burgess scored his first try in two years against the New Zealand Warriors in round 11 in South Sydney's 30-10 victory at Mount Smart Stadium. The following week he scored a double against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks at ANZ Stadium in South Sydney's 22-14 win. Burgess made 27 appearances for Souths in total as the club finished 3rd on the table at the end of the regular season and reached the preliminary final before being defeated by eventual premiers the Sydney Roosters 12-4.[36] [37] In 2018 he was selected for England against France at the Leigh Sports Village.[38]

2019

Burgess began the 2019 NRL season in good form as the club won 10 of their first 11 games to sit on top of the table. Following South Sydney's Round 13 loss against Newcastle Knights, Burgess was ruled out of action for 4–6 weeks with an ankle injury. Burgess returned to the Souths side in Round 19 which South Sydney won 20-16 after the final siren had sounded.[39] [40]

Burgess made a total of 19 appearances for South Sydney in the 2019 NRL season as the club finished 3rd on the table and qualified for the finals. Burgess featured in all 3 of the club's finals games as they reached the preliminary final against Canberra Raiders, but were defeated 16-10 at Canberra Stadium.[41] [42] [43]

On 10 October, Burgess was named in the England team for the 2019 Rugby League World Cup 9s.[44]

He was selected in squad for the 2019 Great Britain Lions tour of the Southern Hemisphere.[45] He made his Great Britain test debut in the defeat by Tonga.[46]

2020

Burgess played 23 games for Souths throughout the year as the club reached their third straight preliminary final. However, for the third straight year Souths would fall short of a grand final appearance losing to Penrith 20-16 at ANZ Stadium.[47]

2021

In round 6 of the 2021 NRL season, he scored the winning try for South Sydney in their 18-14 golden point extra-time victory over the Wests Tigers.[48]

In round 19, he scored two tries for Souths in their 60-22 victory over the New Zealand Warriors.[49]

Burgess played a total of 26 games for South Sydney in the 2021 NRL season including the club's 2021 NRL Grand Final defeat against Penrith.[50]

2022

In round 20 of the 2022 NRL season, Burgess was sent off for a dangerous high tackle in South Sydney's 21-20 loss against Cronulla.[51]

In the first week of the finals, Burgess was sent to the sin bin for a dangerous high tackle in South Sydney's 30-14 upset victory over arch-rivals the Sydney Roosters.[52]

On 13 September, Burgess was suspended for two matches over his high tackle on James Tedesco.[53]

In October he was named in the England squad for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.[54] In the third group stage match at the 2021 Rugby League World Cup, Burgess scored two tries for England in a 94-4 victory over Greece.[55]

In November he was named in the 2021 RLWC Team of the Tournament.[56]

2023

In round 23 of the 2023 NRL season, Burgess was placed on report during South Sydney's 26-16 loss against Cronulla. On 6 August, Burgess was controversially suspended for three matches with many critics saying the length of the suspension too harsh.[57] [58] Burgess played a total of 16 games throughout the year as South Sydney finished 9th on the table and missed the finals.[59]

2024

On 7 February, it was announced that Burgess had signed a three-year deal with English side Huddersfield which is due to start in the 2025 Super League season.[60] In round 8 of the 2024 NRL season, Burgess became South Sydney's second most capped player in their history. South Sydney would go on to lose 54-20 against Melbourne.[61]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tom Burgess (archived by web.archive.org). englandrl.co.uk. 15 January 2014. bot: unknown. https://web.archive.org/web/20131028174308/http://www.englandrl.co.uk/teams/men/player_profile?520555-tom-burgess. 28 October 2013. dmy-all.
  2. Web site: The official Engage Super League web site. web page. Super League. 21 August 2011.
  3. Web site: Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org. rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. 1 January 2018.
  4. Web site: England Statistics at englandrl.co.uk. englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. 1 January 2018. bot: unknown. https://web.archive.org/web/20131202235312/http://www.englandrl.co.uk/player_records?search=Burgess&submit=Go&c=England. 2 December 2013. dmy-all.
  5. News: Irvine. Christopher. The Times Online. Sam Burgess inspired by memory of late father. 26 October 2007. 17 September 2009.
  6. News: Daily Telegraph. Meet the magnificent Mrs Burgess.
  7. News: Halifax Evening Courier. Bulls snap up Burgess twins. 17 January 2008. 17 September 2009.
  8. Web site: Burgess brothers are back on family business for England in World Cup. 11 October 2013. Telegraph.co.uk.
  9. Web site: Sky Sports. Bulls hold off Pryce bid. https://web.archive.org/web/20150104014438/http://www.skysports.com/rugbyleague/match_report/0,19936,12212_3343394,00.html. 4 January 2015.
  10. Web site: Sky Sports. Catalans humble Bulls. https://web.archive.org/web/20150104014647/http://www.skysports.com/rugbyleague/match_report/0,,12213_3406247,00+en-USS_01DBC.html. 4 January 2015.
  11. News: Sydney Morning Herald. Burgess boys to pack in for Souths. Glenn Jackson.
  12. Web site: South Sydney Rabbitohs beats Parramatte Eels to go three clear on the NRL ladder. Adrian Warren. 8 March 2016. Fox Sports. 9 March 2016.
  13. News: Daily Telegraph. South Sydney rabbitohs leave it late to run down Wests Tigers in Benji Marshall's 200th NRL game.
  14. Web site: Three Burgess brothers named in England World Cup squad. The Sydney Morning Herald. October 2013.
  15. Web site: The Rabbitohs have beaten the Sharks 18-0 at Remondis Stadium. Paul Crawley. 8 March 2016. Fox Sports. 9 March 2016.
  16. Web site: South Sydney Rabbitohs beat Newcastle Knights 50-10 at Barlow Park in Cairns. Barry Toohey. 8 March 2016. Fox Sports. 9 March 2016.
  17. Web site: Rabbitohs Grand Final Player Ratings. Dan Walsh. NRL.com. 5 October 2014 .
  18. Web site: ENGLAND NAME 2014 FOUR NATIONS SQUAD. Rugby League Week. 4 January 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150103024433/http://rugbyleagueweek.com.au/england-2014-four-nations-squad/. 3 January 2015. dead. dmy-all.
  19. Web site: World Club Challenge: South Sydney Rabbitohs thrash St Helens Saints to complete Aussie series sweep. Mike Colman. 8 March 2016. Fox Sports. 9 March 2016.
  20. Web site: nrl.com. Rabbitohs extend contracts of Burgess and Tyrrell. 8 April 2015 .
  21. Web site: England demolish France 84-4 in record win. Skysports.com. 24 October 2015.
  22. Web site: England squad named for NZ series. NRL.com. 11 October 2015 .
  23. News: Daily Telegraph. Hosts take series with nervy 20-14 win over Kiwis in Wigan.
  24. Web site: Tom Burgess NFL: South Sydney Rabbitohs star at New York Giants. 3 December 2015. NewsComAu.
  25. Web site: South Sydney rugby league star Tom Burgess works out with New York Giants. Melanie Dinjaski. 8 March 2016. Fox Sports. 9 March 2016.
  26. Web site: Rabbitohs name 2016 Nines squad - Rugby League Week. Rugby League Week. 9 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160320182624/http://rugbyleagueweek.com.au/rabbitohs-name-2016-nines-squad/. 20 March 2016. dead. dmy-all.
  27. Web site: Archived copy . 16 February 2016 . 4 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220204200333/https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/teams/world-all-stars-defeat-indigenous-all-stars-128-at-suncorp-stadium/news-story/034a63c6602597828b4b9a5ce72f986e . dead .
  28. News: South Sydney Rabbitohs' Sam Burgess back to play Manly Sea Eagles after neck injury scare. 29 March 2016. 9 October 2017. The Sydney Morning Herald.
  29. News: South Sydney Rabbitohs attempting to offload prop Tom Burgess. Adrian. Proszenko. 27 July 2016. 9 October 2017. The Sydney Morning Herald.
  30. Web site: Four Nations 2016: Wayne Bennett's England squad. 10 October 2016. Fox Sports. 9 October 2017.
  31. Web site: England v France rugby league Test match live: Four Nations warm up live scores, live updates. 23 October 2016. Fox Sports. 9 October 2017.
  32. Web site: NRL stars deliver for Bennett's England. Dailytelegraph.com.au. 9 October 2017.
  33. Web site: England rugby league World Cup squad revealed - and James Roby is back in the fold. Mirror. 9 October 2017. 30 October 2019.
  34. Web site: WATCH: Did Tom Burgess just drop the World Cup…twice?. 2 December 2017. 15 June 2018.
  35. Web site: NRL contracts 2018: Sam Burgess among Rabbitohs signings, Alex Walmsley, Dylan Napa — Market Watch. 5 December 2017. 15 June 2018.
  36. Web site: South Sydney season review. Nothing but league. 16 October 2018 .
  37. Web site: Custom Matches. RLP.
  38. News: Tom Johnstone marks debut with England hat-trick against France. Guardian. 17 October 2018. 31 October 2019.
  39. Web site: Rabbitohs steal last-second win over brave Dragons. NRL. 26 July 2019 .
  40. Web site: Tom Burgess joins Sam in the casualty ward. Sporting News. 14 August 2021 .
  41. News: South Sydney Rabbitohs beat Manly Sea Eagles 34-26 in NRL semi-final. ABC News. 20 September 2019 .
  42. Web site: Rabbitohs dig deep to eliminate Sea Eagles in finals thriller. NRL. 20 September 2019 .
  43. News: Canberra Raiders end 25-year wait to reach NRL grand final with victory over Rabbitohs. The Guardian. 27 September 2019 .
  44. Web site: Sam Tomkins eager to lift inaugural World 9s title with England Down Under. Mirror. 16 October 2019. 29 October 2019.
  45. News: Zak Hardaker shock inclusion in 24-man Great Britain squad for tour of New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Telegraph. 14 October 2019. 29 October 2019.
  46. News: Great Britain left bruised at Tonga party. Times. 26 October 2019. 29 October 2019.
  47. News: Penrith Panthers beat South Sydney Rabbitohs 20-16 to set up NRL grand final against Melbourne Storm. ABC News. 17 October 2020 .
  48. News: Parramatta beats Canberra 35-10 as South Sydney, Manly post contrasting NRL wins. ABC News. 17 April 2021 .
  49. News: Penrith beat Brisbane 18-12, South Sydney thrash Warriors 60-22, Manly outclass Tigers 44-24. ABC News. 24 July 2021 .
  50. News: One of finest NRL grand finals of all time provides cure to difficult season. The Guardian. 3 October 2021 . Tedeschi . Nick .
  51. Web site: Cool Hynes ices golden point epic; Latrell's mixed bag as Souths rue missed chances: 3 Big Hits. www.foxsports.com.au. 30 July 2022 .
  52. Web site: SEVEN players binned in historic first after Roosters-Rabbitohs clash explodes. www.foxsports.com.au. 13 September 2022 .
  53. News: South Sydney take aim at NRL double-standard following Tom Burgess suspension. ABC News. 13 September 2022 .
  54. https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/rugby-league-world-cup-2021-squad-lists/ Full list of every squad at the Rugby League World Cup 2021
  55. News: Rugby League World Cup: England crush Greece as Dom Young scores four tries. BBC Sport .
  56. https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/rugby-league-world-cup-2021-team-of-the-tournament-samoan-players-matt-parish-jarome-luai-mens-news-grand-final-australia-vs-samoa-news/news-story/a21b36bd8c3bf810be6953e4420220a9 Samoan domination as unlikely halfback earns No.7 jersey: WC Team of the Tournament
  57. Web site: England star Tom Burgess set to miss rest of season following 'harsh' sin bin. www.seriousaboutrl.com. 6 August 2023 .
  58. Web site: Burgess hit with monster ban for contentious Hazleton hit amid 'harsh' sin bin. www.foxsports.com.au. 6 August 2023 .
  59. Web site: 'Absolute madness': Potential Latrell switch slammed as a 'band aid' for broken Bunnies. www.foxsports.com.au. 5 September 2023 .
  60. Web site: Tom Burgess’ Super League move confirmed for 2025 as England international set to join Huddersfield Giants. www.totalrl.com.
  61. Web site: South Sydney Rabbitohs' Anzac Day loss to Melbourne Storm made worse by Taane Milne's 'brain explosion' on Cameron Munster. www.abc.net.au.