Warrington Wolves boss Sam Burgess urges Super League to develop "rock stars"
Share:
Warrington boss Sam Burgess reckons Super League can make “rock stars” of its players - but work needs to be done. The former dual-code England international knows all about playing at the highest level and biggest arenas. Having been a huge star in the glitzy NRL for so many years, the ex-South Sydney ace has seen the Aussies can put on a show.
Rugby league, of course, is big business down under. In contrast, the domestic game here needs to up its game. That’s not easy given the comparative lack of money in the sport. But Warrington are taking steps to raise profile, agreeing to play Wigan in Las Vegas in March as part of the NRL season opener.
Burgess, who retired in 2019, admitted: “I do dive into the business side of it more now. “But that’s probably from experiencing the NRL for however long. It is a juggernaut over there. “So it's not big changes we can make here. But I think we can all make change, positive change, which also takes a bit of courage.
“I'm not coming at the game here; the game’s probably heard it all before. But the product’s good enough so let's sell it.”. Burgess insists Super League must get rid of loop fixtures if it is serious about growing: less is more. He said: “We’d play 22 [rather than 27] if we played everyone home and away and it makes the product way better.
“Have a couple of byes in there where you’d play a Yorkshire/Lancashire series. Make that special. “Bring the players in and make them owners of the game.”. And Burgess, 36, knows the importance of English talent in taking the sport to the next level.
