Rodrick Tai opens up on his first Warrington Wolves year and playing under Sam Burgess

Rodrick Tai is loving life in Super League as he continues to work alongside one of his idols at Warrington Wolves. Sam Burgess inspired a generation of rugby league fans and players with what he managed to achieve in the game Down Under.

The former England international won the NRL in 2014 and amassed a total of 182 appearances for South Sydney Rabbitohs before his retirement from the game in 2019. He was a fan favourite and Tai was one of those youngsters that grew up trying to emulate the Yorkshireman’s performances and achievements in the game.

However, the centre is now approaching his second season of working under Burgess, with the Papua New Guinea international being one of the Warrington head coach’s first signings at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. The 25-year-old made 23 appearances under Burgess in all competitions and represented the Wolves in the Challenge Cup final and the Super League play-off semi-finals.

Ultimately, Tai ended his first year in England empty handed, but the experience of being in Super League and working under one of his childhood favourites is one he looks back on fondly as he prepares for the challenge of 2025.

“Sam’s been a role model and someone that I liked watching growing up and then now to be coached by him is just unreal,” the Warrington Wolves man told NRL.com. “All the time when I see him it just gets me; he’s really a good bloke.

“He’s handling it really well being a coach, but sometimes I think that he still wants to play!

“Playing in England is good, all fans in the UK love the PNG lads and so when we go over there to play, they just make us feel at home. It’s been a really good year in the UK.”

Tai’s domestic season came to an end in October, but after being named in Jason Demetriou’s PNG squad for the Pacific Championships, he returned Down Under to feature for his country. The Kumuls saw off Fiji and Cook Islands convincingly to book their place in a promotion/relegation play-off against New Zealand, but they fell short on the biggest stage with the Kiwis running out 54-12 victors.

“It was a massive opportunity and we really wanted to play that game and hopefully put a better performance, but it was a good learning for us and what to expect,” Tai added.

“It’s our goal to be in the top four (in the world) and now we’ve experienced what it’s like to be there, it’s a good learning for us and all the boys hopefully be better next year. I think deep down the boys believe that they can do that (and be top four), but they just keep it to themselves. JD came and just set it out straight and then it became a goal for the team and each and every one of us, we wanted to achieve that.”