Sam Burgess battling an ankle injury ahead of explosive Parramatta clash

THE beginning of the Eels quest for a miracle finals berth just got a little bit easier with Sam Burgess no certainty to play for the Rabbitohs next week.

Burgess grabs at an injured ankle during the Rabbitohs defeat to the Tigers.

PARRAMATTA’S desperate charge to the NRL finals could receive an early boost with South Sydney’s Sam Burgess no certainty to line up against the Eels next Friday.

In their first game since being stripped of all their competition points because of salary cap breaches, Eels players will be keen to send a statement to the rest of the competition by belting the Bunnies in front of a packed Pirtek Stadium.

The Eels must win 12 of their remaining 15 games if they are any hope of reaching September, and provided they shed $570,000 worth of talent from their roster so they are salary cap compliant.

Frustrated Parramatta enforcer Kenny Edwards told The Daily Telegraph earlier this week: “I wouldn’t want to be another team playing us in the next few weeks.’’

Souths will be looking to avoid a fifth straight loss, which will be made even more difficult should their best forward Burgess fail to overcome an ankle injury.

Burgess revealed Friday was the first day he had walked without a moon boot, and would test out his ankle early next week.

The Englishman injured himself against the Wests Tigers last weekend, with the same left ankle requiring surgery in 2011.

“There are no guarantees (about next Friday), and I wouldn’t be doing the team any justice if I went out there and played 10 minutes and then had to come off,’’ Burgess said yesterday, as he launched his own burger at Eastgardens Ribs & Burgers.

“We’ve done some pretty intensive treatment on it through the week. Hopefully I’m a chance to run on it early next week.

“It’s the ankle I had a full reconstruction on in 2011.

NO MORE: Pearce doesn’t want to play Origin

SALARY CAP: Eels can play for points again

“It got into a bad position the other night, very similar to what I did in 2011, but obviously there wasn’t as much damage.

“(In 2011) I injured it in the first 20 minutes, put strapping around the boot, then in the 60th minute I snapped all three major ligaments. It’s one of those things where there was already a bit of instability there.’’

Burgess said it had been impossible to ignore what had happened with the Eels, and while he sympathised with the players’ plight out west, the Bunnies had their own ‘’issues and problems’’ to worry about.

Burgess has struggled to fight off injury all season.

The Bunnies have quickly gone from competition contenders to a star-studded side that have looked flat and bound for an early exit.

Burgess said frustration had naturally crept into the side because of the losses. They leaked soft tries against Brisbane, and never recovered from a sluggish start versus the Tigers.

But the week off had come at a good time, said Burgess, and the players needed the mental refresher.

Burgess said there were plenty of smiles at a team golf day at The Coast on Thursday, and added ‘’I even saw ‘Madge’ (coach Michael Maguire) smile, which is always nice’’.