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Souths sign Luke Burgess Immediately

Ttime

Juniors
Messages
524
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are delighted to announce the immediate signing of Englishman Luke Burgess until the end of the 2013 season.

Burgess, 24, is the older brother of Rabbitohs players Sam and George Burgess, and will join his siblings at the Club as early as next week.

Standing 188cm tall and weighing in at 111kg, the eldest of the four Burgess brothers will add to the Club’s front row depth both this year and for the next two seasons.

Burgess has achieved wonderful success at the Leeds Rhinos and Harlequins having played 96 first team matches since making his debut in 2007 against Catalans, including a premiership victory in 2009 with the Rhinos. Burgess is no stranger to the Rabbitohs having played against South Sydney in the Australia Day Challenge match played in Jacksonville, USA in 2008.

Rabbitohs CEO Shane Richardson is pleased to have secured the signature of another Burgess for South Sydney.

“Luke will be a welcome addition to our front row stocks, not only now but also for the following two seasons,” Mr Richardson said.

“We’ve been tracking Luke’s progress with Leeds and we feel that he is ready to move to Australia and to prove himself in the NRL.

“He told us he wants to come out and live with his brothers and challenge himself in the NRL and what better Club to take on that challenge with than South Sydney.

“Obviously Sam has become one of the Club’s leading lights and George is progressing well through our feeder Club at North Sydney, and we’re looking forward to adding Luke to our roster and having him push for a first grade berth as well.”

Biography:

Name: Luke Burgess
Position: Prop
Junior Club: Dewsbury Moor
DOB: 20 February 1987
POB: Wakefield, England
Height: 188cm
Weight: 111kg
ESL Games: 96 (93 for the Leeds Rhinos, 3 for the London Harlequins)
ESL Points: 24 (6 tries for the Leeds Rhinos)
ESL debut: Harlequins vs Catalans, Millennium Stadium Cardiff, 5 May 2007 (Rd 13)

STAND TALL. STAND TOGETHER. STAND & BE COUNTED!

Up the Rabbitohs!
 

Zigwaa

Bench
Messages
2,744
Nice, will be handy for the rest of the year with our injuries.

Is he really going to crack a first grade spot with a full strength squad when he couldn't get a look in at Leeds?
 

DC_fan

Coach
Messages
11,980
My concern is, if his last name was not Burgess would we have signed him.

Have we signed him based on his last name or on his football ability?

Have we signed him to keep Sam happy? Is their a touch of nepotism in the signing?

The suggestion back when Sam signed with Souths that Luke was the weak link of the brothers. Yet we have signed him for next two and a half years.

Sometimes I seriously do wonder who is running our club.
 

t10do

Juniors
Messages
540
hope he proves me wrong, but this seems way too much of a knee-jerk signing.no applause from me at the moment.we can only hope that madge is behind all this and has a master plan.
 

hindyrabbit

Juniors
Messages
226
price may have something to do with it.

now maybe we can move DT to half back and GI to 5/8 and we'll stack the rest of the backs with pace. hahaha

some one stated on another thread this may be a good thing as they will all compete against each other to be the best and try and win with each other
 

Ziggy the God

First Grade
Messages
5,240
Can't admit to seeing to many of his games, but we sure need a bit more muscle upfront this year, so I am not complaining.
 

God-King Dean

Immortal
Messages
46,614
My concern is, if his last name was not Burgess would we have signed him.

Have we signed him based on his last name or on his football ability?

Have we signed him to keep Sam happy? Is their a touch of nepotism in the signing?

The suggestion back when Sam signed with Souths that Luke was the weak link of the brothers. Yet we have signed him for next two and a half years.

Sometimes I seriously do wonder who is running our club.

That one. Just to stop Sam from getting homesick IMO.
 

S.S.T.I.D

Bench
Messages
3,641
Michael Maguire would of obviously had to of given his approval, as it is his team the majority of the time that Luke is under contract. As such I have no issue with it. He is far better placed to adjudge than any one around here and I'll back him on that. Neoptism or not, we need big bodies and he has that.
 

BunniesMan

Immortal
Messages
33,789
We need prop depth. Now we have some. The bloke is 6'2 and 111kg, you can't teach size like that. Maguire saw him first hand and obviously gave it his seal of approval so it's fine with me.

This Burgess may not have star potential like the first two but he'll be a handy bench player.
 
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roughyedspud

Coach
Messages
12,181
Nice, will be handy for the rest of the year with our injuries.

Is he really going to crack a first grade spot with a full strength squad when he couldn't get a look in at Leeds?

ben cross could'nt get into the leeds team either...


on luke.....he big,strong,reliable and still only 24....a baby in prop years...so playing with his brothers and the better coaching he'll get down under will only make him better...and when you think he's probably on a basic contract too it's very good business.......even if it is just to keep sam happy :lol:
 

Galeforce

Bench
Messages
2,602
We need an additional up the middle big bopper , who can also defend against big boppers. If he can do that , then this is good!
 

boo_boo

Juniors
Messages
1,819
I thought getting a recognised half-back would have been a bigger priority.
Anyway welcome to the club Luke.
 
Messages
376
my opinion is i want to eventually see all the 4 burgesse's in 1st grade playing together i believe with the proper coaching from maguire next year these 4 bopper brothers may well raise a few eye brows in the near future:shock:




one-eyed rabbitoh.
 
Messages
376
hey boo boo ile let u know what is in the mix with a half back ok give me till july 10 and ile give u the good oil ok;-)




one-eyed rabbitoh.
 
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