George Burgess’ COVID shock: Ex-Rabbitoh in quarantine

A serious injury has cast doubts over his career, now South Sydney premiership has been laid low with COVID-19.

George Burgess of the Rabbitohs during a training session at Redfern Oval in Sydney, Tuesday, September 24, 2019. The Rabbitohs are set to play the Canberra Raiders in an NRL Finals match at GIO Stadium on Friday. (AAP Image/Joel Carrett) NO ARCHIVING

South Sydney premiership winner George Burgess has revealed he and his wife are battling COVID after contracting the disease in England.

Burgess is still in England having stepped aside from his playing commitments in Wigan earlier this month because of a serious hip injury.

“We are halfway through quarantine because I have Covid,” Burgess told Breakfast with Vossy on SEN.

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Former Rabbitohs prop George Burgess is battling COVID in England.

“My wife and I, Joanna, we both have Covid. We are stuck at home for 10 days which is what the protocols are over here. Once you get the virus you have to stay home and isolate.

“Three kids under three in a small house in the north of England. I had a few symptoms early on but I’m in the back end of it now and feeling OK. I had shortness of breath, a bit of a cough. It’s not great. It’s not something you want to get.”

Burgess was forced to end his stint at Wigan after just one season because of an ongoing hip injury. He needs surgery which requires a seven-month rehabilitation and threatens to end the 28-year-old’s career.

“I’ve had it my whole time at Souths it was just managed through different ways and over the years it got worse,” Burgess said of the hip injury.

George Burgess has been sidelined by an ongoing hip injury.

“Going to Wigan I thought I could get it right and give it a good chance. It started to deteriorate in lockdown last year.”

Burgess played just eight games for Wigan last year after leaving South Sydney at the end of 2019. He plans to return to Australia in August.

Meanwhile, former St George Illawarra head coach Steve Price is on the lookout for a job in Australia. Price will step down as Warrington coach at the end of this season and return home with his family. He coached the Dragons for three seasons before being part of Cronulla’s premiership-winning coaching staff in 2016.

Price took over Warrington in 2018, winning the Challenge Cup a year later.