Sam Burgess has returned to Sydney after a month in Thailand with friend and Hollywood director Russell Crowe to a coaching role.
The former South Sydney Rabbitoh will coach the Orara Valley Axemen next season, and, though he has been named as the boss, there have been calls for the 32-year-old to return to the pitch.
Friends say Burgess’ appointment in Group 2 is a small yet significant step toward his ultimate goal of coaching in the NRL.
It would be a sensational move for the 32-year-old who has been in the news recently for winning the reality TV show SAS Australia as well as being cleared for domestic abuse allegations claimed by ex-wife Phoebe.
Only Burgess was selected to pass the entirety of the course, making him the winner of the show.
“There’s not many people that fit the mold. It takes a unique person to do a unique job,” Ant Middleton previously said.
Burgess earned a reputation for being one of the world’s greatest in his time at Souths, but checked himself into rehab earlier in the year after problems with alcohol.
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