Sam Burgess returns to South Sydney

[BrisbaneRhino]

I expect Sam Burgess to be improved next season. Whilst he was only away for a season, he's played for almost two years straight except for time waiting for his cheek to recover after the GF. When he went to RU they tried to convert him to a centre (one reason why he wasn't a success - nobody who watched him in RL would ever have thought he was a centre). A lot of his training was focused on increasing his speed to play in the centres, rather than focus on his strength, which is, well, his strength.

Give him an off-season to build himself back into the shape he was before he left for RU and he'll go better.

Whether the massive disruption caused to Souths by resigning him will ever be worth it, I'm not so sure.

 

[DiegoNT]

Sam was amazing for the last 10 games of the 2014 season. But i think that clouds people's judgemental of sam. The way he is playing now is similar to 2010-2013- always impressive stats, but some games he lacks impact, has mistakes in his game, has injury problems etc. He is still a great forward, in the top bracket of middle
forwards in the game, but people act like he is twice as good as any other forward, or he is a match winner. We've dumped so many players for Sammy like he is a Thurston, cronk or smith when he isn't that kind of player

 

[H.H]

Sam was amazing for the last 10 games of the 2014 season. But i think that clouds people's judgemental of sam. The way he is playing now is similar to 2010-2013- always impressive stats, but some games he lacks impact, has mistakes in his game, has injury problems etc. He is still a great forward, in the top bracket of middle
forwards in the game, but people act like he is twice as good as any other forward, or he is a match winner. We've dumped so many players for Sammy like he is a Thurston, cronk or smith when he isn't that kind of player

Well done - you're spot on.

That late run in 2014 was out of this world, but that aside, he's been a very good, but not great forward over his 5 - 6 year NRL career.

 

[LeedsRhinos]

He hasn't had a full off season since 2013, he's busted.

He went from playing finals football in 2014 and winning the comp straight into a union season, then a world cup, then back to the NRL and no real off season between any of it.

Next year i expect him to be back to his best.

 

[Rhino_NQ]

lol@souffs

 

[Charlie124]

lol@souffs

ZOMGROFLMAO@50uff$

 

[Last Week]

He hasn't had a full off season since 2013, he's busted.

He went from playing finals football in 2014 and winning the comp straight into a union season, then a world cup, then back to the NRL and no real off season between any of it.

Next year i expect him to be back to his best.

Wouldn't surprise me if an 'injury' prevents him from playing in this year's 4Nations

 

[big hit!]

Some injury concerns this year for Sam. Lack of proper regeneration phase lurching straight from League to Union to League seasons.

The greater problem are his twin brothers. Neither have reached the heights of 13/14 when they came through and really helped big brother add some starch in the middle third. They've been atrocious in fact. Lumbering around and adding plenty of errors on top of it.

Brown is a kamakaze, but tremedously undersized to continuously bend the defensive line the way the Burgess boys were doing a couple of years back. He looks spectacular with the way he hits the line but rarely troubles it unless he heading towards a gap where his smaller size and speed can sneak him through.

It's tough for one bloke to do it all. The middle defence of the opposition needs to be regularly troubled, and they aren't at against Souths this season. It means individual players can be easily contained.

 

[alien]

sammy has carried the souths forward pack in many games this year. he isn't doing as many big hits in defense or scoring as many tries as he once did because he is buggered playing so many minutes, and making so many metres and tackles. if he played less mins during the games, i think he'd be more effective. he is still one of the best middle third forwards in the world though

 

[_snafu_]

lol@souffs

 

[kbw]

Now the rules are being applied to Burge$$ the same way they are to everyone else he doesn't look that spectacular at all.
Now he no longer gets a penalty everytime he drops the ball its funny and he has terrible hands.

He is a good player but nothing great with out the officials help.
It looked like he was asking the referee if he could go home early

 

[English Rose]

If you have watched all of Souths games this season he has still been Souths best forward by a country mile! Yes he hasn't hit th heights of 2014 but now he is basically carrying the rest of that pack as it is full of duds! He went well yesterday agains the Panthers!

 

[LeedsRhinos]

 

[DiegoNT]

This is the problems with stats.
Near identical stats but the difference in performance between 2014 and 2016 is huge.

 

[Uncle Kraka]

I'd like to see the penalty received from dropped ball stat. In 2014 he could spiral pass it forward into the refs face and receive a strip penalty.

 

[DiegoNT]

It all comes back to dominance.
If your running hard and charging onto the ball, and getting quick play the balls, when the ball comes out the ref is going to give you the benifit of the doubt. If you are running to the line with no steam, getting doninated in tackles, taking an ice age to play the ball, then when the ball comes out the refs are more likely to rule against you. Same for defence. Dominate tackles means you can get away with lying on top of players, softer tackles and flops means you are more likely to be penalised.

In 2014 sams 17 runs were mostly Hard charges with quick play the balls, was threatening to break the line, and his offloads were putting people in a position to make a break.
In 2016 most of his runs are to the line, get tackled easily, and slower play the balls. His offloads are mainly putting people in a position to lose ground.
His 30 tackles in 2014 were putting other forwards on notice, in 2016 they lack oomphf.

In 2014 sam had a good supporting class around him in the pack. In 2016 to get him back we've had to lose most of that support.