Your move: Phoebe Burgess challenges NRL to act after police close case against Sam

Heat is on the National Rugby League to take action over drug-fuelled wild behaviour after witnesses decline to give statements about Sam Burgess scandal.

‘Nothing about my life or my story has changed’: Phoebe Burgess. Picture: Hugh Stewart.

Phoebe Burgess says she isn’t surprised police have decided not to pursue criminal charges against her ex-husband, retired rugby league player Sam Burgess.

Burgess – who on Saturday gave an explosive interview to The Weekend Australian Magazine about rugby league’s culture of misogyny and cover-up – said she stood by every word.

“Thousands of women have contacted me with their own stories of feeling afraid in their own home and silenced by a culture which puts women and children last,” Ms Burgess said.

“I am not surprised police feel unable to proceed to prosecution, and to be honest I feel some relief that my family’s trauma will not now be the subject of a criminal trial. I never approached police – they came to me after The Australian’s reporting and I simply told the truth. Nothing about my life or my story has changed. I look forward to the day the National Rugby League takes action to clean up this game, which has become the punchline of every terrible joke about sexism, violence and cover-ups.

“I feel deeply touched that women trust me with these stories, and just like so many of them, I will move on with providing a safe, stable and respectful home for my children,” she said. “Many women have lost faith in the criminal justice system but I still have hope there are enough good, sensible people in the NRL who know their fans deserve more than continuous scandals about drugs, sex and violence against women.

“This is not the first episode, nor will it be the last, so I ask the NRL not to take a step back when it comes to reforming codes of conduct that allow situations like these to simply disappear.”

Sam Burgess has at all times denied any wrongdoing and has said he has been to rehabilitation for substance abuse.

Earlier this year, he pleaded guilty to driving with traces of cocaine in his system but was not convicted, and he was acquitted on appeal of domestic violence intimidation against his father-in-law, Mitchell Hooke.

In a recent appearance on reality show SAS Australia, Sam Burgess confessed to infidelity and alcohol and drug abuse: “I’ve lost my career, my kids and marriage … turned to drinking, drugs. I’ve lost it all.”

Burgess said he “embarrassed my wife ... I wasn’t the greatest husband,” and added: “I had a lot of personal issues going on, which turned me to drink and drugs.”

“On top of that, my kids, I don’t see as much as I want,” he said.

“And that’s my biggest pain in my life at the moment, that I let my addictive personality take me the wrong way.”

Strike Force Irrabella was created by NSW Police after a report in The Australian in October 2020 about the aftermath of a wild November 2018 bender in the Burgess home, when medical staff attached to the South Sydney Rabbitohs treated Sam Burgess in a highly agitated state.

Other people in the home included members of Sam Burgess’ family and Mr Hooke.

It is understood several witnesses invoked their legal right to decline to give statements about what they saw, and others told police they believed Burgess was in a drug-induced psychotic state and not responsible for his actions.

Strike force commander Detective Senior Constable John Cosgrove, approached for comment, would only say the matter was “reviewed by our legal branch and the recommendation was no charges to be laid.”

Phoebe Burgess, 32, has received thousands of messages of support since The Weekend Australian Magazine’s story.

The Australian’s report revealed Souths chief medical officer, Dr Andrew McDonald, prescribed an injectable tranquilliser for Burgess in the name of Mr Hooke.

The story also included Mr Hooke’s allegation Burgess assaulted Phoebe by forcefully squeezing her heavily pregnant body.

“I was worried she was going to lose the baby,” Mr Hooke said. “You could tell she was in pain. She was inconsolable, she was crying. There was this wail, you can’t describe it. As a father, I can’t think of anything that was more traumatic in my life. If anyone who is a father or mother and hears their child let out that wail, it was deep and came out from right down inside, it was utter fear and traumatised like nothing I’ve ever heard. I will never, ever forget.”

Health care authorities are still investigating the allegations against Dr McDonald.

A nurse who was present at the home, Jan Earl, relinquished her nursing registration after giving evidence at the Nursing and Midwifery Council and was subsequently employed by Souths as its Head of Welfare.

Sam Burgess.

The story also revealed allegations medical staff associated with Souths oversaw secret drug tests for MDMA and ketamine in a basement carpark for Burgess in the aftermath of the event.

An NRL spokesman told The Australian their Integrity Unit will now look to finalise their investigation into Burgess “to determine whether there has been a breach of NRL rules”.

Burgess, an assistant coach at the Rabbitohs, was formally stood down from the South Sydney club last year.

Sam Burgess is presently in Thailand on a film set with his friend and Souths co-owner Russell Crowe. He has said he’s closely observing directors and producers for tips on his planned future career as a coach.

His lawyer, Chris Murphy, took to social media yesterday to declare: “Much hurt and harm has been done to Sam Burgess. He has been damaged. He wants the public to be made aware that allegations have been thoroughly examined and at length by NSW Police and there is nothing for him to be called to answer. Please #retweet #wronged.”