'Rob Burrow had the heart of a lion, it's no surprise how he dealt with MND battle' - Sam Burgess lauds 'courageous' former rival and team-mate after his death aged 41

When it comes to the devastating loss of Rob Burrow – and the brutal reality of MND – Sam Burgess is better placed than most to comment.

The 35-year-old will walk his Warrington side out at Wembley on Saturday after leading them to a Challenge Cup Final following a blistering start to his career as a coach.

But as he drove to training this morning his thoughts were a long way from the arch.

‘I did a lot of reflecting after we got the news on Rob overnight,’ Burgess tells Mail Sport. 

'You think “what’s it all about? What does it mean? Why are we here?”.’

They are questions he has asked himself before. Burgess was 15 when his father Mark, himself a former rugby league player, sat him and his brothers down in the conservatory of the family’s Yorkshire home and told them he had MND. Within two years he had succumbed to one of the cruellest of illnesses. At one stage, with the as the disease ravaged its cruel path, Burgess had to carry his hero to bed.

‘I remember when I heard about Rob’s diagnosis,’ he recalls. ‘Obviously you know the outcome. I know first-hand what it’s about, what the outcome is going to be – that it’s going to end in tears.’

Before heading to Australia’s NRL Burgess was an opponent with derby rivals Bradford more often than a team-mate of Leeds man Burrow, but the pair – who represented Britan and England - were close. 

‘I saw him two or three times since I came back from Australia,’ he adds. ‘Whatever he set out to do he’s totally achieved that. He’s left such a legacy, he’s been unreal. Everyone in the MND community will be forever grateful.’

Tributes have been paid to Burrow, who was 41, from far and wide. Words from Burgess, given his own experience, carry their own significance. ‘It takes real courage to do what Rob did,’ he says. 

‘He probably pioneered it (the fight to raise awareness and find a cure). He led the way with great support. Kev Sinfield (Burrow’s former Leeds team-mate and marathon-running chief fundraiser) has been inspirational. Together they have made a real impact on the world. Rob won the Lance Todd Trophy (awarded to the man of the match at Wembley) twice. It’s a fitting week for the final.’

Burrow’s refusal to be defeated, and the millions he raised before finally succumbing following a four-and-a-half year battle, may have taken aback those not fortunate enough to cross his path.

‘It didn’t surprise me,’ Burgess says. ‘He was a courageous guy. Physics would say he shouldn’t have played Super League. He was smaller than most, lighter than most but he had the heart of a lion. It’s no surprise he’s faced MND like he has. His family, his wife Lindsey, beautiful kids. It puts a lot of perspective on it. When I lost my dad I thought – he’s in a better place now. Theres a bit of peace in there, I think. A bit of peace.’

Given the fate of Burrow and others, including Scottish union legend Doddie Weir, and diagnosis to the likes of former Liverpool defender Stephen Darby, does Burgess think there is a link between the illness and professional sports people?

‘I don’t have any thoughts on that,’ he says. ‘I remember at the time with dad there was talk of a link but everyone is guessing. Until you definitively know it’s not right to say - it’s uneducated. It’s just a tragic disease and until you find a cause you don’t really know.’

Something Burgess is well-qualified to deliver a verdict on is his Warrington side. Often seen as Super League’s bridesmaids, a team of highly paid stars with little drive – think rugby league’s version of Manchester United post Sir Alex Ferguson – he quickly sent them on a camp designed by his friend and special forces operative turned TV star Ant Middleton after taking over late last year.‘

'I was apprehensive,’ he admits. ‘I didn’t know what the culture was like, how much I would have to change. I came with a six-week plan to try and breed effort. After two weeks it was done. They are good, honest lads. The camp was pre-Christmas. Ant is a good friend. In his field, if you lose then the outcome is death. There were no complaints from the players. 

'They all completed it. It was a strip-the-egos away exercise that went for 54 hours. Limited sleep, limited food. The group became tighter. It They had to rely one each other. It was a plan to get them to the weakest form of themselves and then see what their character was. They really came together. There was a four-hour bus ride home and I thought they’d be zonked out like zombies but they were buzzing. They got back and went for a couple of beers before Christmas. It generated good energy. We could then move to upskilling them.’

Burgess has a two-year contract with Warrington. Aside from the final, they sit two points from the summit of Super League. It has gone well. Some have tipped him for a move back to Australia’s NRL and a potential return to South Sydney, with whom he won a Grand Final in a stint that saw him become a great at a historic club whose history is packed with them.

Off the field, however, there were well-reported issues. After retiring four-and-a-half years ago with a shoulder injury former wife Phoebe and father-in-law Mitchell Hooke made a series of damaging accusations. 

A conviction for intimidation of Hooke was overturned and no charges were laid over Phoebe’s claims of domestic abuse. Burgess was found guilty of driving with cocaine in his system and subsequently spent four weeks in rehab. Earlier this year he had to appear on a 3am video link to an Australian court to defend himself after being accused of driving on a suspended licence.

But while he may have good reason to think he is being targeted, he would have no second thoughts over returning Down Under.

‘I take responsibility for the not the best moments off the field,’ he says. ‘Since then I spent a lot of time working on myself and why I was making those decisions. You figure a lot of stuff out. It doesn’t put me off going back. Australia is part of my life. Two of my children are there. It doesn’t put me off at all. If anything, what happened makes me a better more rounded person. I’ve learned some great lessons in the last few years.’

Burgess, who is in Warrington with partner Lucy and new-born daughter Robbie, returns to reflection. ‘You know what right and wrong is,’ he says. 

‘It’s about making the right choice in the moment. I had a lot going on. It’s about managing pressure and the environment. The quicker you can self-reflect and take responsibility the quicker you can get back on track and stop making those mistakes. I’m a quick learner, you have to be. It’s about making the right choices.’

Speaking of right choices, how does he now reflect on his quick stint in rugby union that saw him scapegoated by some for England’s 2015 World Cup exit?

‘I think about it with nothing other than fondness and I wouldn’t change anything,’ he says. It was a great experience. I was 24-25, it was the way I felt at the time. Playing for England five or six times, playing in a final with Bath at Twickenham, in my eyes there was lot of success involved.

’It should also be pointed out that England were leading Wales when he left the field…‘By 10 points I think,’ he says, laughing. ‘If you look at the facts with a logical brain, I don’t regret a thing. I am a patriotic Englishmen I’d never not give 100 per cent and I did that. There’s always politics, agendas, I’m OK with it now.’

Before departing, I ask Burgess if, when he gets back in the car and reflects on the meaning of it all again, he finds any answers.‘

It’s about family, relationships, making the most of all those things,’ he explains. ‘It’s also about making memories.’ He can add another one of those to the list on Saturday afternoon.