Sam Burgess pays glowing tribute to brother Tom Burgess ahead of South Sydney Rabbitohs farewell

Sam Burgess has paid tribute to his brother Tom Burgess ahead of his 249th – and final – appearance for South Sydney Rabbitohs this weekend.

Tom will bring down the curtain on a stellar 12-season spell with the Rabbitohs on Friday night when he makes his final appearance in the cardinal red and myrtle green jersey in a derby clash with the Sydney Roosters.

The 32-year-old, who will return to Super League with Huddersfield Giants on a three-year deal in 2025, will depart his beloved Rabbitohs with 249 first-grade games to his name, sitting only behind club icon John Sutton in the list of the club’s all-time appearance holders.

Speaking exclusively to Love Rugby League ahead of Tom’s final game for Souths, Sam said he couldn’t be prouder of his younger brother’s career in the NRL, with the Burgess brothers, including George and Luke, having helped the Rabbitohs win the NRL Premiership in 2014.

“Unbelievable,” Sam said of Tom’s NRL career. “I was talking to my mum this morning about it, it’s unbelievable. He’s playing his 249th game for South Sydney this weekend and it’s just a bit of a shame that it’s not 250.

“He’s the second all-time capped Rabbitohs player, so it’s phenomenal. I’m just so proud of him.

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“His career has grown, he’s played in two Grand Finals, he was part of the change of taking the Premiership there a while ago and he’s just a great bloke and a great professional.

“I don’t know what else I can say about him. I’m just so proud of his career, he’s played more than 35 tests or something like that, played like 50 games over here for Bradford. It’s been a serious career.

“There was a point in time when he probably didn’t know whether he was going to do it himself, but it’s a great lesson – he just persevered, worked hard and had a bit of self belief and he’s made such a great career for himself and his beautiful family, and they’ll be in sunny Huddersfield next year so it’s a great achievement for him.”

And, arguably, the most memorable night for the Burgess family came in 2013, when all four brothers took to the field for the first time, with mum Julie there to witness the special moment from the stands.

“That was a great night for the family,” Sam told Love Rugby League. “It was the first time our mum had to go to one stadium to see all four of us play because normally she’d be at a couple, so that was a pretty good moment for a set of brothers.

“But the Grand Final in 2014, although we didn’t all play, Tom had a massive game from the bench, he ran for over 200 metres, and him and George were such an influential part of that group when we won it. They were just great to have next to you on the field.

“To name one (particular highlight) I don’t know, he scored that try in Golden Point didn’t he? I wasn’t playing but I was watching it, he scored that try from about 30 out and that was pretty special. The longer he talks about it, the more it gets to the halfway line!

“What a career. He has done really well and I’m so happy for him.”

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