South Sydney boss Shane Richardson has declared Sam Burgess the toughest forward he has ever seen – even tougher than the ultimate Bunnies hardman Les Davidson.
As revealed in Fairfax Media on Wednesday, Burgess backed up just eight days after having elbow surgery to play Canberra on Saturday, despite the normal recovery time from such a procedure being up to six weeks.
Tough nut: Burgess famously played through the 2014 grand final with a broken jaw.
Richardson has worked for more than two decades as a top-ranking official at clubs such as Cronulla, Penrith, Hull FC in England and South Sydney, but he could not go past the powerhouse Pom, who will lead the way for Souths on Thursday night against Wests Tigers.
"In all my time working at the top in the game, I've never seen a tougher forward than Sam,'' Richardson told Fairfax Media.
"Les was tough, he still is tough, and he was the 'reigning champion', but Sam is outstanding. Les, Craig Gower, Jason Smith, all these guys were tough and involved with clubs I was at, but in my opinion Sam is the toughest
"I think he's missed something like six games in six years through injury. There have been a few more through suspension. But the bottom line is he wants to train hard all the time and he plays through pain. You never actually know if he is injured.
"He was heroic in the 2014 grand final [when he played with a broken cheekbone], that was the pinnacle, but there have been so many other times over the years he's done the same thing, like last week [with his elbow].
Back in action: Sam Burgess will go into battle for the Bunnies against the Tigers on Thursday.
"The reason he plays on is because he doesn't want to let the team down. He's that sort of guy and team leader.''
Davidson was regarded as one of the most uncompromising forwards through the eighties and nineties, when he spent long stints with Souths and eventually Cronulla.
Burgess caught a 6am flight after the Broncos loss and underwent arthroscopic surgery to his right elbow later that day. While a full recovery time for the operation is normally up to six weeks, especially given the pain and swelling around the elbow joint, Burgess backed up against the Raiders – with his right elbow strapped – and made 36 tackles in 76 minutes.
Souths are desperate to end a three-match losing streak at ANZ Stadium before the finals commence.
Hardman: St George’s Graeme Wynn feels the full impact of tackles by south Sydney’s Wayne Chisholm and Les Davidson in 1987.
The Tigers will bow out of the race after Thursday night but they have won five of their past six games against Souths.
Meanwhile, Angus Crichton, who is close with Burgess – and was even challenged by the big Englishman to physically aim up every week after he announced he would defect to the Sydney Roosters next year – said on Wednesday he was aware he had a maximum five matches left for the club.
"I'm coming to the pointy end of the season, it's my first finals campaign, but also some of the last opportunities to play with some of my best mates,'' Crichton said.
"I don't want to blink and miss it, so I'll do my best to not let it slip by. It still hasn't really hit home. I don't think it will until we finish up. Hopefully we finish when we're holding up the trophy at the end of the season.
I'll relish every chance with big 'Greggy' and hopefully he's hitting his straps after seven weeks in the stables
"I've also got potentially five games left with one of the best players to have played the game [Greg Inglis]. I'll relish every chance with big 'Greggy' and hopefully he's hitting his straps after seven weeks in the stables.''
As Crichton was being interviewed by Fairfax Media at the back of Redfern's main grandstand, Damien Cook interrupted and asked his teammate: "You've copped a few comments about your hairstyle, do you want to give your barber a shout-out?'.
"It's a bit different,'' said Crichton, whose mohawk would not have been well received at his former Scots College.
"Campbell Graham also has a little hawk as well. I've taken him under my wing. Or he's taken me under his, given the size of him.
"A kid had a mohawk the other day and was saying, 'Angus, look at my hair'. That was cool. The more mohawks the better. The 'short back and sides' are pretty standard these days, so why not mix it up.''
Souths are at full strength a week out from September with winger Rob Jennings to return from a hamstring injury against the Tigers.
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