Canberra and Souths will field a record number of Englishmen in their prelim final showdown
The first NRL preliminary final will be a Battle of Britain, with Canberra and Souths to field a record number of Englishmen in the epic semi-final encounter.
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The Battle of Britain comes to Canberra on Friday night.
Forget Hull, Wigan or Bradford — the real battle for English bragging rights will result in a grand final appearance for one set of England stars.
A record number of English players will face off in an NRL match that will also feature England mentor Wayne Bennett as South Sydney coach.
The Rabbitohs have the Burgess trio of Sam, George and Tom, while Canberra boast a quartet of English stars in Josh Hodgson, Elliott Whitehead, John Bateman and Ryan Sutton.
Even Sydney-born South Sydney winger Campbell Graham is eligible for Great Britain for Tests at the end of the season.
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Never before have seven English players featured in an NRL match.
“It’s a good sign for England,” Tom Burgess said after South Sydney’s come-from-behind 34-26 win against Manly on Friday night.
“The boys are representing well in the NRL.
“Mental toughness comes into it. Everyone has talent. It’s between the ears. Everyone who is playing at Canberra has that.
“I know (the English players) all very well. I know they won’t give up. They are rough and tough lads from rough areas in England like Bradford and Hull.
“They won’t take a backward step. It’s going to be like a dogfight.”
Burgess has played plenty of Test football alongside Hodgson and his a long history with a couple of Raiders players.
When Burgess made his debut for Bradford as an 18-year-old, he lined up alongside the more experienced Whitehead. Later that year, Bateman played his first game for Bradford, packing down with Burgess and Whitehead.
“I was 18,” Burgess said. “Elliott was 21. John was a young gun coming through. He was playing 80 minutes at 17 years old every week in the backrow.
“He has always had that fight in him. He is very strong mentally. That’s why he is where he is.”
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Bateman was injured when the Rabbitohs and Raiders clashed earlier this year, with South Sydney winning 16-12 in Canberra.
When Bateman was considering making a move to the NRL this year, Burgess tried enticing him to the Rabbitohs.
“I knew he was signing for Canberra,” Burgess said. “We were in (England) camp with Wayne. We used to have a laugh and try and get him to the Bunnies, especially when Wayne became coach.
“He is close with all the English boys. It was good for him to settle in. A bit like me when I moved. “It’s good to have people you know when you come to a new country.
Burgess started his first match since round 22 on Friday night after coming off the bench in the opening finals match in his return from injury. His 46-minute stint produced his most game time since round 13.
“I felt better for it,” Burgess said. “I wanted to start. I felt good about Wayne putting me back into the starting side.
“I wanted to get into the game. I’m happy with how I went.”
George Burgess was a shock inclusion for South Sydney’s Canterbury Cup side on Saturday afternoon having played just 11 minutes on Friday night as he struggles for match fitness after a long suspension.
Originally published as Canberra and Souths will field a record number of Englishmen in their prelim final showdown