Sam Burgess has declared he still has a burning desire to be a head coach in the NRL, with the South Sydney great taking weekly lessons from Wayne Bennett.
There were emotional scenes on Wednesday night when Burgess — watched by his mother, Julie — became the first English international to enter the NRL’s Hall of Fame, after a career headlined by the 2014 premiership.
The 35-year-old flew in from Warrington to accept the honour, returning to Australia for the first time since leaving his post as a Rabbitohs assistant last year.
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Burgess has had early success in his coaching career, after taking over Warrington this year.
The Wolves are third on the Super League ladder and on a charge for the finals, with wins in seven of their past eight games.
He also signed an extension last month to keep him at the helm of the club until the end of 2026, at which point he currently becomes a free agent.
Burgess has long been touted as a potential coach in the NRL, and the heavyweight forward still wants to return to Australia after making his mark as an English player.
“I’ve got ambition,” he said.
“That’s what I wanted to do from the beginning.
“But things change. We’re really enjoying our time in England. I’ve signed for another year, so I’m there for another two years after this season.
“I’m enjoying (coaching). It’s everything I thought it would be. The challenges have been fun challenges.
“I have been able to do it out of the way of all (the spotlight). There is nowhere near as much scrutiny and pressure on your decision-making.
“I’m in no rush. I’m enjoying England. I enjoy the freedom of England.”
The dual international, who was fined $30,000 by the NRL in 2022 after multiple code of conduct breaches relating to drugs, has emerged as one of rugby league’s most promising mentors.
Burgess’s current Warrington deal will expire at the same point as Bennett’s does at Souths, and it seems inevitable that he will be linked with taking over the Rabbitohs.
Bennett has already been a stand-out mentor for Burgess as a coach, with the Englishman accepting Bennett’s Hall of Fame jacket on Wednesday on his behalf.
The pair have remained in constant communication during Burgess’s first year in charge of an elite side.
“He’s been awesome. He’s almost been on speed-dial at times if I have an issue or just can’t quite get my head around something,” Burgess said.
“I spoke to Wayne almost every week this year about different things, sometimes catching up to say hello, and other times we’re trying to solve a problem.
“He always has a good ear to lean on and is always great counsel. He’s a great guy to have in your corner.”
The premiership-winning forward split with Souths late last year, over apparent concerns over preferential treatment of Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker by then-coach Jason Demetriou.
Burgess believes Bennett is every chance of turning Souths around, and admitted he had found it tough to watch the early stages of the Rabbitohs’ horror season.
“If anyone can (get them back on track), Wayne can,” Burgess said.
“Everyone knows what he stands for, and they’ve all worked with him previously. They’ll all be excited to get him back.”
– With 7NEWS.com.au