Tom Burgess under ‘pressure’ at Huddersfield Giants as pundit makes salary cap point

Jon Wilkin insists Tom Burgess is under pressure to deliver at Huddersfield Giants after ‘blowing a hole’ in the club’s wage bill. Burgess has signed a three-year contract with the Giants in a deal that sees him return to the English game for the first time since leaving Bradford Bulls in 2012.

The prop spent 12 seasons playing in the NRL with South Sydney Rabbitohs, making 249 appearances along the way to become the club’s second most capped player of all time. However, at the age of 32, Burgess has made the decision to return to Super League with the Giants and he won’t have to wait too long before being reunited with his brother Sam, who is approaching his second season in charge of Warrington Wolves.

The Burgess boys will go head to head in the season opener, with Huddersfield hosting the Wolves on Sunday, February 16, and it promises to be a game worth watching. However, while discussing the opening round of fixtures, Wilkin singled out the Huddersfield Giants recruit as a man under pressure due to the marquee deal he has penned at the John Smith’s Stadium.

“That family is used to competing against each other,” Wilkin said while speaking on Sky Sports News. “They’ve spent their full lives competing with each other. They’re just winners.

“Sam Burgess in his first year, what can you say about him? He showed a maturity that you just don’t see from naive coaches. In his first year of coaching he made some huge cultural steps at Warrington that were big things to take on and he tackled them. He’s going to be facing up against his brother Tom, who comes over from the NRL on a shedload of cash. In a salary cap sport, Tom Burgess is blowing a big hole in the salary cap for Huddersfield. There’s some pressure there.

“It’s massive for Huddersfield but they got rid of the head coach last year, Luke Robinson is in charge now and is Tom Burgess the answer? He’s probably part of the answer but they need more than just Tom Burgess if they’re going to do anything this year.”