NRL Finals 2020: Wayne Bennett opens up on private challenge that inspired Tom Burgess’ best season
At the start of the year hardly anyone rated the Rabbitohs’ pack capable of standing toe-to-toe with the competition heavyweights. He doesn’t get near the recognition he deserves, but one player can take a lot of credit for it.
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He is known as the “quiet achiever” of the Burgess brothers.
But this will go down as the moment big Tom Burgess finally stepped out of the giant shadows of Sam and George.
Wayne Bennett doesn’t often open up about personal conversations he has with players.
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But in the countdown to Saturday’s NRL preliminary final, the South Sydney coach has spoken about his enormous pride in Tom after a private chat they had at the end of last year.
“I expected Tom to stand up,” Bennett said of Tom’s career-best season, which has followed Sam’s retirement and George’s return to England’s Super League.
“I asked him to stand up. I said, ‘We need you, mate’.”
Bennett said the conversation happened following November’s Great Britain tour.
Even though the Poms lost all four games against New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, Bennett rated Tom his best forward of the series.
“He finished last season a bit scratchy (for Souths) but he was probably our best player in the forwards on that four-match tour,” Bennett said.
“And I just said to him at the end of it all, ‘Mate, you have given yourself up now. You have really shown me what you can do. So you are going to have to step up next year. We are going to need you’.”
And even with Sam embroiled in an ugly NRL and police investigation in recent weeks, Tom has continued on as the unexpected inspiration for this season’s most over-achieving pack of forwards.
At the start of the year hardly anyone rated the Rabbitohs’ pack capable of standing toe-to-toe with the competition heavyweights.
But after out-muscling the Sydney Roosters, Newcastle and Parramatta in their last three games, the Bunnies now take on Penrith for a chance to play in this year’s NRL grand final.
And not only has Tom played every game for the Rabbitohs this season, but he is also averaging career highs in run metres (138m), minutes (48m) and equal most tackles (22.6).
Bennett said because of Tom’s unassuming nature, he doesn’t get near the recognition he deserves.
But Bennett pointed out that Tom had now played more Tests for England and Great Britain than any of his brothers.
Tom has represented his home nation 29 times, while Sam played 26 rugby league Tests and George 15.
“He has been a quiet achiever,” Bennett said.
“Always in the shadows of the brothers, but always there.
“He doesn’t say much but what he does say has an effect on everybody.
“He is not a big talker. He just doesn’t do that.
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“But he will drop something in here and there and you listen when he says it because he doesn’t say a lot.
“I recognise what he is doing and I want him to realise that I recognise what he has been doing.
“It is a bit hard for some of my players to get raps because there are a couple of guys who are outstanding in the team and they take a fair bit of the headlines.
“But I have been in those teams before. Allan Langer in his heyday was in the paper every day because of the great player he was.
“But it didn’t stop the great Webckes and the Thorns building great careers off it.
“And it doesn’t stop these guys either. It is just part of being in a team.”