From Sporting News,
This really brings back some emotions. Crazy to think that he hid it for that long and he knew he was going to have to retire long before the Season finished. That article explains a lot really. God he loves our club, what a legend!!!!
The moment Sam Burgess' stunning league career came to abrupt end: 'I can't retire now, I'm not ready yet'
An emotional Sam Burgess has opened up on the devastation and pain that surrounded his sudden rugby league retirement at the end of last season.
The warrior-like Englishman revealed how he hid his agony from teammates as he clung on to hope of guiding South Sydney to another premiership under his rein as captain.
Burgess was
forced into medical retirement in October after succumbing to a chronic shoulder injury and losing virtually all movement in his left arm.
It drew the curtains on his 182-game NRL career with Souths and what will be recognised on one of the most iconic rugby league careers in the modern game.
In an enthralling tell-all interview on the Out Of Your League podcast, Burgess explained how he'd never envisaged hanging the boots up so early.
"Leading into the 2019 season I'd probably had the best pre-season I'd had in a number of years and I was fit and determined,"
Burgess told the Out Of Your League podcast.
"We'd lost to the Roosters in the prelim the year before, and I was so determined, I was hellbent on 'I am getting to the grand final in 2019'.
"I had a few things that happened in my private life that drove to me train hard and I was focused and had the group going pretty well too, we were all on this path.
"We started the season off fantastically well, we were outwards first, I think out of 12 rounds we'd won 11 and lost one.
"But I picked up this niggle in my left shoulder about round six or seven and it progressively got worse and worse."
Burgess admits at first he was reluctant to share the issue with physio, yet a period mid-season where the Rabbitohs had two byes in close succession presented a good window for treatment.
But it was at this stage in the season the feedback from doctors began to get worse.
"It got to a point where my quality of life was terrible, I couldn't move my arm," the retired Rabbitohs captain said.
"We went in for surgery and we cleaned it up and it didn't really feel to much better three weeks after the surgery.
"I went to go see the surgeon after and I said 'I'm playing next week' and he said 'no you're not, you can't play... you've got an infection in there'.
"So I'm thinking 'how is this only coming to me now' and then we had a pretty direct conversation with each other.
"He told me I shouldn't play and I should think about retiring, he said he's 'never said seen a shoulder as bad' - those are his exact words.
"I'm thinking 'oh my god, I can't retire now, I'm not ready yet', plus we were in the middle of our campaign and were going so well."
To tackle the infection, Burgess would have to go to hospital every day for close to five weeks where he'd have a new drip installed into his left arm.
Having not played for over seven weeks, and the countless hours of treatment to fight the mysterious infection sapping his energy, Burgess' knew his time was up.
"I went backwards because I couldn't run as aggressively as I was running because I was so fatigued," the 2014 Clive Churchill Medalist said.
"We probably had six or seven games left and I started playing and felt so far off the pace in terms of physically and fitness and my shoulder just wasn't what it used to be.
"I kept missing plays that I would normally make and only I would notice that but then the pain was still just through the roof.
"It got to a point where I knew I was done even with games to go but I was the captain of the team but I couldn't show anyone.
"So I was hiding this secret for a while whilst trying to convince the team that we could win the competition."
As the days ticked over Burgess began dealing with the realisation that his days were numbered.
As he so often did Burgess bravely played through the immense adversity, however his last game in the cardinal and myrtle was a
devastating preliminary final loss in Canberra to the Raiders.
"I felt guilty turning up to training every day knowing that I can't be that player anymore and I was getting paid a fair salary," an honest Burgess said.
"Then there was the media speculation and things get out so quick, you wouldn't believe, so that just puts more pressure on things.
"So we had to come up with a plan and my private life I had a few things going on there, I had cameras following me 24/7.
"I decided to get out of the country and announce it there because I wanted to get out as quietly as possible I didn't want the drama.
"But then we released it and it's done, the decision is done."
