SAM BURGESS has warned his Warrington Wolves prospects to be wary of social media.
The Wire coach knows what it’s like to achieve a level of fame at a young age, having made his debut at 17 for Bradford Bulls and played for Great Britain at 18.
And while he can use his own experience to help keep youngsters like 18-year-old halfback Ewan Irwin grounded, there’s one factor for the current generation that Burgess didn’t have to deal with 20 years ago.
The perils of social media criticism are well known, but he believes that praise can be just as dangerous.
Burgess said: “I think the challenge for a lot of players these days, especially young players who are touted to be superstars, is that they’re so accessible by social media, where people will say things about them who don’t really know too much.
“You’ve just got to be careful you don’t overhype these guys and put too much pressure on them at a young age, because it’s important to let them develop naturally without any extra, external pressure.
“Ewan is a very talented player and we can all see that, but he’s only a young man of 18 and it’s a tough environment. He must be careful with that.
“But he’s got his head on his shoulders and he’s very composed. We’ll manage him in the best way possible.
“We have a few younger players in our system below Ewan who seems to be getting those accolades, but it’s important that we take stock and understand these are young kids and we have to let them develop without putting too much pressure on them.
“We’ve got to guide these young men to make good decisions, and understand what’s reality and what’s not, what hard work looks like and what being a professional looks like.
“It’s a challenge everyone has with social media – you’ve got to take it with a pinch of salt.”