Sam Burgess: Warrington's 2024 boss has skills that outweigh his novice status, says Stuart Middleton
- Published
Sam Burgess' 2014 Grand Final performance with a broken cheekbone helped helped cement his legacy as a leader and warrior
Warrington Wolves are confident 2024 coaching appointment Sam Burgess' inexperience is outweighed by his strengths as a "leader and motivator", says chairman Stuart Middleton.
The 34-year-old former England and Great Britain international will return to Super League with Wire next year.
It is his first top-level coaching job, although he has been assistant at South Sydney Rabbitohs this past year.
"We've got to try something different," Middleton told BBC Radio Merseyside.
"We've been there, we've tried that [with more experienced coaches] and it's not worked. In business you have to take risks and it's a calculated risk - what have we got to lose?"
Burgess enjoyed a stellar playing career, earning celebrity status for his performances at South Sydney, winning the 2014 Grand Final and representing England across both rugby codes.
If it were not for a shoulder injury he might still be playing, but he has been involved in coaching since a spell with the Orara Valley Axemen and then as part of Jason Demetriou's Souths coaching group.
"On the coaching side he probably doesn't have as much experience," Middleton added. "He's been doing it [coaching] now for the last three years and the last year at the higher level.
"He has got some experience, and being a head coach is not just about your ruck skills, it's about leadership, management and getting the best out of the players.
"He's not been long off playing so he knows what it's about, he can engage with young people, he can deal with elite athletes, and he's motivational so he ticks a lot of boxes."
Middleton highlighted the lack of candidates available for elite clubs in Super League, with those in top Australian jobs less likely to make the switch.
There has been a flow of assistant coaches impressing in Europe's domestic competition, with Saints' acquisition of Justin Holbrook and then Kristian Woolf evidence of the merits.
Burgess will be bolstered by the retention of Richard Marshall in his current assistant's post, and the step up from interim coach to director of rugby for existing stand-in Gary Chambers.
"He's have an all-encompassing role," Middleton said of Chambers.
"He'll oversee all the coaching, the youth system which is important to us in terms of generating our own players - so all the way from the bottom to the top.
"He'll challenge the coaches, he's experienced, a good leader and he's very passionate and cares about the club.
"It's a big job now, retention and recruitment, working with all the pieces of the jigsaw and making it fit together."