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***young angus*** · 07-02-2010, 09:31 PM

GLENN JACKSON
February 8, 2010
South Sydney 42 Manly 12

IT WAS the moment a cinematic gladiator reduced a footballing warrior to tears. Before his first match for the Rabbitohs - a trial game against Manly before a few hundred diehard fans - Russell Crowe escorted Sam Burgess to the southern end of Redfern Oval.

It was there, on sacred South Sydney soil, that Crowe handed Burgess a club membership card in the name of his father, who had died in 2007 of motor neurone disease. It gave Mark Burgess, a former rugby league player and coach in the north of England, a posthumous honour at the club where his son will do exactly what he told his father he would before his death: play in the NRL.

''I think it's just a sign of how good the club is,'' Burgess said. ''Russell knows a lot about my background back at home … I'd told my dad I'd come over here at some stage of my career. It's pretty special.

''It's something I'll never forget really, a touching moment and really thoughtful of the club and Russell.''

It turned out it was Crowe's idea, and the card had come complete with motivational quotes favoured by the senior Burgess. Sam had nursed his father throughout the latter stages of his illness, and Crowe's touching gesture quickly brought him to tears.

For Burgess, it was the end of a journey and the start of one, and whatever the exact words Crowe said, they had the desired effect.

Burgess did not wish to divulge exactly what was written on the membership card. Some things would remain between him and Hollywood.

''My dad used to coach, and he gave me a few tips, but I'm going to keep those a secret,'' Burgess said. ''They were just two simple lines. They just came up in conversation [with Crowe] - he never made a big deal of it but he must have remembered. It was just really nice that the club thought to do it. It got a little bit upsetting, because obviously I wish my dad could still be here.''

Asked what his father, a former player with Hunslet and Nottingham, would have thought of Burgess's debut in Australia yesterday, he said: ''Even if I'd had a shocker, he'd just be happy that I've done what I wanted to do.''

He had anything but a shocker. Burgess was one of many players on show in the first trial of the year without any NRL experience, but many in attendance would have come solely to see him. He received a bigger cheer yesterday than anyone, even Crowe, and while Manly had come to spoil the party, it was also apparent that Burgess had come to it.

While the Sea Eagles scored the first two tries to puncture the celebrations somewhat, Burgess was doing everything possible to lift spirits. He forced the first Manly mistake with a sizeable hit on Sea Eagle Ben Shorter, and then forced the ball over the line for Souths' first try, not far from the spot where he shared his moment with Crowe.

While Crowe's words had the desired effect earlier, Burgess's impact after kick-off was equally uplifting; the Rabbitohs responded to his try by piling on the next seven and winning the contest comfortably.

Burgess only played the first quarter of the match, and by the last he was signing autographs on the fence. Even on such a dreary and wet day, there was little that could dampen the proceedings for Souths fans. The Rabbitohs also announced that two of their up-and-coming prospects, Eddy Pettybourne and Jason Clark, had extended their contracts with the club, while those in attendance forgot normal football protocol and cheered a politician, as Premier Kristina Keneally ran out - and scored a try - in the pre-game touch football clash involving a motley bunch of past players, actors and the man who is both, Mario Fenech.

Fenech later handed Burgess his first South Sydney jersey. It was clear the day might have been termed Return to Redfern, but the only man they had all come to see was someone who had only just arrived there.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leagu...-nkzf.html