Sam Burgess likely to make league comeback in trial against the Titans

SAM Burgess is likely to make his rugby league comeback in South Sydney’s trial against the Titans at Pizzey Park on the Gold Coast.

Rabbitohs training

FROM playing in front of 82,000 fans at Twickenham to a couple of a thousand fans at Pizzey Park on the Gold Coast.

That’s the scenario for Sam Burgess when he steps out for the first time since England’s shock World Cup exit to make his long-awaited rugby league on February 20 against the Titans.

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Burgess’ league comeback was supposed to be for Wayne Bennett’s World All Stars on February 13 at Suncorp Stadium.

But South Sydney coach Michael Maguire said his star recruit was in doubt for that match, which meant he would also be unlikely to play in the annual Charity Shield at ANZ Stadium on the same day.

“It will more than likely be the Gold Coast trial,’’ Maguire told The Daily Telegraph as helped launch the Charity Shield.

“Just with where his body is at, I have some great staff who have all the data on him before he left us to where he is now, he’s in great shape, but obviously to play our game you need to make sure your body is right.

“He’s coming off a massive break. He’s had a good break now. Sam and ‘GI’ (Greg Inglis) have both had good breaks, they’re fresh and bouncing around at training, and we need to utilise that going into the season.’’

Burgess was recently hitched and only started training with the Bunnies’ full squad at the start of the month.

He left the NRL at the end of 2014 to go on and make England’s rugby side, who were knocked out of the World Cup early in front of a stunned Twickenham crowd, which included Prince Harry.

Cameron McInnes and Benji Marshal at the Charity Shield launch. Picture Gregg Porteous

The Titans’ trial at Pizzey Park won’t even feature a grandstand.

Russell Packer is one player set to continue his own lead-up to the NRL via the Charity Shield, with the Dragons’ prop threatened with deportation to New Zealand before Christmas because of his criminal conviction.

Teammate Benji Marshall likened Packer to fellow Kiwi big bopper Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, saying: “You hate playing against him, but you want him in your team. Let me tell you, he hurts the boys at training, so I can’t wait until he does it to other teams, and I’m sick of him doing it to me.’’

Originally published as Sam Burgess likely to make league comeback in trial against the Titans