IT has been no secret in the past few weeks that South Sydney Rabbitohs star Tom Burgess has spoken of his desire to return to Super League.
Having carved out a reputation for himself in the NRL with the Bunnies after 45 appearances for the Bradford Bulls in Super League, Burgess is suddenly a free agent from the end of 2023.
That has left his career at the Rabbitohs in doubt with a potential move to Leeds Rhinos being fluctuated in recent days and weeks.
However, the Super League side that would perhaps benefit most from the signing of 30-year-old Burgess is the Warrington Wolves.
Time and again in 2022, the Wolves lost the physical battle down the middle of the field and though Daryl Powell has brought in the likes of Sam Kasiano, Gil Dudson and Paul Vaughan, there is potentially still a gap for a Burgess-type player.
As we saw at the weekend against Papua New Guinea, Burgess still has a tremendous amount to offer as he overcame a pack that has earned a reputation for being merciless in the past.
With the likes of Daryl Clark and Danny Walker able to take advantage of quick rucks, having a Burgess in the Warrington side would inevitably help Powell and the club climb the table.
Of course, with Burgess’ long affiliation with Leeds – he has been a fan of the Rhinos since being a boy – and the fact that Matt Prior has retired, that could swing the tide in favour of a Headingley move.
And Leeds certainly have the salary cap space now given the departures of Prior, Zak Hardaker and Jack Walker.