Souths players say that Sam Burgess has improved as a leader this season

ACCORDING to Hymel Hunt and Alex Johnston the rumours of Sam Burgess driving a rift through the ranks at the Rabbitohs couldn’t be further from the truth.

South Sydney Rabbitohs Training Session

HYMEL Hunt chose the corner locker at Souths HQ because, being the new kid, he was keen to stay in the shadows.

Call it the greatest decision of his fledgling career.

“Oh, it’s been unreal,’’ the Souths centre said this week. “I’d only been at the club two days, in my little corner, when suddenly Sam Burgess arrives ... and moved in right beside me.

“When he started unpacking his gear in the locker next to mine, I was actually quite nervous.

“Yet even as famous as he is, the guy is so easy going.

“I’m learning off him every day.”

Indeed, if Slammin’ Sam Burgess has split the Rabbitohs like those summer rumours suggested, nobody has told Hunt.

Nor winger Alex Johnston, who insists the hulking Englishman is a greater leader now than when he won the Clive Churchill with that busted jaw.

Indeed, the more you move around the South Sydney sheds — chatting with everyone from Greg Inglis through to coach Michael Maguire — the more love for Burgess you find.

But undoubtedly the greatest praise comes from the locker next door.

“I’m a sponge,’’ grins Hunt, the Aucklander now looking to really crack the NRL after a handful of games with both Gold Coast and Melbourne Storm.

“Just his character, his work ethic, I feed off it all.

KENT: Foran not going anywhere

LATE MAIL: All the latest team news

“It’s the same on the field. You can see when he punches through the line, the rest of the team really feeds off that.

“Gets a lift from it.

“So to sit beside him every day I’m like ‘wow’. I can’t believe it.

“Sam carries a vibe with him, an aura.”

Johnston agrees.

Asked how Burgess had changed since his last outing with the club, the Bunnies flyer said: “Everyone knows what type of presence he has.

“And his leadership.

“But now he is vocalising that a lot more.

“Wether we’re at training or on the field in games, he is the one bringing us all together and explaining what we need to do. What we need to change or work on.

“He’s always spoken up, but now it’s going further. I think he really understands his impact on this team.”

Hymel Hunt of Souths during the South Sydney Rabbitohs v St George Illawarra Dragons Charity Shield game at ANZ Stadium. pic Mark Evans

Certainly it showed in round one.

Despite his performance being overshadowed by halfback Adam Reynolds’ busted jaw — and the Roosters conceding 42 points with Mitchell Pearce watching on — Burgess was still outstanding.

Apart from running 162m in his NRL return, easily the most of any player on the field, the hulking prop also made 22 tackles and produced a couple of solid offloads.

And as for what time he got it all done in?

“I only played 55 minutes, 20 off what I normally do,’’ Burgess said. “We’d talked about playing 80 minutes but we wanted to see how the game went.

“I think it worked out well.

“For us, there were a number of good individual efforts.

“We completed well in the heat. Forced repeat sets. We were clinical.”

Originally published as Souths players say that Sam Burgess has improved as a leader this season