SAM Burgess is already having an effect at Warrington – even though he is 10,000 miles away.
The dual-code England star will take charge at the Wolves from next season, a move that has raised plenty of eyebrows.
But interim boss Gary Chambers, who coached Burgess with England Under-18s and almost brought him to the Wire, revealed just how the 34-year-old is making his mark, even though he is currently in Sydney, where he is an assistant at NRL side Souths.
He said: “It means early mornings and late nights for me – I don’t think the guy sleeps!
“He’s on it and is loving it. There’s a real buzz about him. He wants data, stats, who's doing this, who’s doing that. From my position moving forward, I’m thinking, ‘How good is this?’
“Sam’s commitment over a short space of time has been really impressive. It’s good to see he’s able to impart his knowledge and give that feel good factor from a long way away.
“He’s looking at quick wins that would potentially help us now. He’s watching with a vested interest from afar and wants to help, that’s perfect for us.
“There are a number of things he’s coming up with – different ways we could use systems and better ways we can preserve our forwards’ energy.
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“Sam’s not telling us a way of playing, it’s the golden threads that can help us in what we’re trying to do.
“He’s got around most players, speaking to a number individually. He’s spoken to the spine players about some little wins they can get, without being too intrusive.
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“He’s looked at our immediate and long-term opponents – and after Sunday’s game at Leeds, he’ll give us a game debrief and as with all good environments, we’ll take it to the senior team.
“We’ll utilise anything that’s valuable in there.”
Burgess may be coming in but former England RU attack coach Martin Gleeson is already working with Chambers’ side, which has lost seven straight matches.
And he believes he is having the desired effect, adding: “Martin’s brought that extra layer of understanding. He’s a deep thinker, very knowledgeable and gets a tune out of players.
“We’re going to play a little flatter and faster. Hopefully it’ll be something that works. We’ve got to get some wins and grind them out.”
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