
Warrington Wolves head coach Sam Burgess has hit out at NRL clubs over their approach for contracted players and called on RFL action to prevent such actions.
Speaking with NRL.com, the Warrington boss had given his strong and firm assessment on the practice of NRL clubs approaching Super League talents whilst under contract – something that the Wolves were subject to last season.
Canberra Raiders came for two of Warrington’s players with the NRL outfit successful in their pursuit of Matty Nicholson but ultimately missing out on hooker Danny Walker.
Walker confirmed recently just how close to the exit door he was, admitting that he was ‘leaning’ towards leaving at one point but could not give up on his dream of winning Super League with his boyhood club Warrington Wolves.
Wolves head coach Sam Burgess has now hit out at the practice of player poaching and even called on RFL action to help prevent it, arguing that Super League can be built off the backs of English stars instead of overseas talents.
“People come under the carpet and try and sell dreams and then not have any concern for what it leaves behind here,” Burgess told NRL.com when speaking about NRL advances on UK players.
“You’re just put under so much pressure because the NRL (clubs) have got three or four times more money to spend. You are constantly fighting off those threats.”
Warrington Wolves boss Sam Burgess calls for action over ‘poaching of players’

Credit: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com
As referenced, Warrington successfully fought off the threat posed when Danny Walker was in those negotiations but they did lose Matty Nicholson to the Raiders despite the fact that the 21-year-old was contracted through till the end of the 2025 season.
Burgess explained: “They don’t really care that he’s on a two-year contract, they don’t care about it because it (players departing early) happens more regularly over there.
“So, they come and throw money at players and it’s hard for players to ignore it. Our players get calls from clubs all the time. They’re only human so they take them and obviously they’re putting stuff in their minds, throwing dollars at them.
“They don’t care about the damage it leaves behind. It created a big pain in my arse last year.”
Nicholson became the latest in a string of young English players to head Down Under, many of whom were contracted with their club. The likes of Morgan Smithies, Kai Pearce-Paul and Will Pryce have all departed in the past two seasons.
Burgess has now called for some form of preventative measure that either Super League or the RFL could enforce to help clubs keep their homegrown talents.
He argued: “In some respects, I think there might be something that can be done for your homegrown players, just to prevent the poaching of players, so to speak.
“There’s got to be a bit of protection in place for some of those things. From a central point of view, maybe the League can do something about it.”
It’s his belief that doing that could help Super League put more star power in their English talents as opposed to the overseas players who frequently are viewed as the superstars.
He added: “I think there needs to be more protection to keep assets here and then you can start growing it off the back of your English assets.
“You don’t always need Aussie guys to be your main assets.
“There’s nothing better than having George Williams, Danny Walker, Mikey Lewis, Junior Nsemba, some of these young English boys, (as) rock stars in England.”
