Sam Burgess has reiterated that he will see out his contract at Warrington Wolves, despite being linked to jobs down under. Burgess is in his second season at the Halliwell Jones Stadium and his focus will be locked on Saturday’s Challenge Cup final as the Wolves take on Super League leaders Hull KR.
Warrington are underdogs for the clash, given the inconsistency they have shown in the league this season, but a Cup win would be guaranteed to see Burgess’ stock as a head coach rise even further. The former England international has never shied away from his desire to move back to Australia at some point and he remains a popular figure down under for his performances in a South Sydney Rabbitohs shirt.
As such, he is one of the men who has been linked with the coaching vacancy at the NRL’s newest club Perth Bears. The Bears will enter the competition in 2027 and a number of current head coaches have been reportedly considered when it comes to leading them into their first league season.
Burgess was one of those, alongside Leeds Rhinos boss Brad Arthur, Brad Walters and Mal Meninga. According to the Daily Telegraph, the latter is in the frame for the role, with the ARLC said to have decided against bringing Burgess in to work alongside the current Kangaroos chief.
As such, if the reports are to be believed, the Warrington boss won’t be involved in the Perth project at all, but it seems likely that Burgess will be considered for further NRL gigs that crop up down the line.
The Warrington Wolves boss is contracted until the end of the 2026 Super League season and he intends to honour that, but he’s keeping an open mind about what the future might hold for him beyond that.
“I don’t need that to give me confidence, to keep me going or to give me motivation,” Burgess told the press on Monday when asked whether the links to jobs down under gave him self-belief. “I’m really happy with what we’re doing here.
“I’m enjoying my time at Warrington and I’ll see my contract out at Warrington. I have a great relationship with Simon (Moran), who gave me an opportunity.
“Whatever happens, happens with it. At the moment I have a pretty important week here and everything else will take care of itself over time.”
