Souths legend Sam Burgess to coach Group 2 side Orara Valley Axemen

The rugby league “superstar” will pick up the clipboard and help get a proud bush footy club back on the paddock. But can he turn them into one of the competition’s top teams?

In one of the biggest coups for bush footy in some time, Rabbitohs legend Sam Burgess will coach the Orara Valley Axemen in 2022.

The announcement was made by the club on Thursday, with a post on their Facebook page.

The former South Sydney star has been spending time in the region, and was lined up to host a sportsman’s dinner in Coffs Harbour with fellow league greats Wayne Bennett and Mark Carroll.

While Orara Valley club were unable to field a Group 2 team this year due to a lack of players, the club look determined to build their first grade side back to its best.

In June, Orara Valley president Peter Spinks told The Coffs Coast Advocate the year off was an opportunity to “get ahead of the curve” financially and springboard into the 2022 season.

NRL Canberra v Souths Prelim Final

Group 2 chief executive Jim Anderson said he used to love watching Burgess play, and the prop would be a welcome addition to the competition.

“He’s a superstar in his own right and anything that is for the betterment of rugby league, especially in our local area, I am all for,” he said.

The appointment will have Axemen fans dreaming big, with the star power of Burgess likely to make the Valley side an attractive destination for many Group 2 players.

It also has echoes of the early 2000s, when Axemen sides boasted the likes of former Souths players Mark Carroll and Jason Death.

Former South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL player Sam Burgess. Pic Nathan Edwards

Carroll told The Daily Telegraph in February that he had a “tremendous time” at the club and his 2003 stint at 36 years of age gave him “closure” after a successful NRL career.

Meanwhile, the 2021 Group 2 season hangs in the balance with the statewide lockdown putting a stop to the season during one of the most anticipated finals series in years.

With only six clubs fielding first grade sides, the competition has been very close and Grafton Ghosts claimed the minor premiership by just two points and only two wins separated second and fourth.

However, there are still several games still to be played before the grand final and players will have to have two training sessions under their belts before matches can recommence.