Sam Burgess, the head coach of Warrington Wolves, has been added to the shortlist for the position of head coach of the Parramatta Eels.
After more than ten years with the team, the Eels announced on Monday that they had fired longtime head coach Brad Arthur. Since then, they have been looking for a replacement.
They have only won three games this season and are currently only three spots above South Sydney Rabbitohs, who are in last place. The 50-year-old felt that the 48-16 Magic Round crushing at the hands of Melbourne Storm was the breaking point.
Trent Barrett, an assistant coach for the Eels and a former standout player for the Wigan Warriors, has been named the team’s temporary head coach.
In the past, they had tried to entice iconic head coach Wayne Bennett to join the team by signing him, but it now appears that Bennett is headed to the Rabbitohs.
As a result, Parramatta is reportedly “scouring NRL and overseas” for a new head coach, according to The Daily Telegraph.
According to reports, they have compiled a wishlist of individuals they hope to acquire, which includes Sam Burgess.
“The Eels’ bombshell decision has led the club to draw up a hit list of aspiring NRL coaches, including Jason Ryles, Josh Hannay, Sam Burgess, Michael Maguire, Jason Demetriou, Dean Young, and Michael Ennis,” stated The Daily Telegraph in their original article after Arthur was fired.
Additionally, this week on his Triple M radio show, Penrith Panthers great Mark Geyer stated, “The bolt from the blue would be Sam Burgess.”
As a result, it appears that the rumours that the Eels want to add him to the club have some validity.
Burgess has a wealth of experience in Australia, having spent two stints with the Souths between 2010 and 2019 and amassing nearly 200 matches.
He was the club’s assistant coach after retiring; however, he reportedly left last year because of a disagreement with Jason Demetriou.
Since he is in his first season as head coach, it seems improbable that he would quit Warrington Wolves at this juncture in the season. When questioned about his relationship to the Rabbitohs, Sam Burgess previously stated that he had a two-year contract. It appears that his attitude hasn’t changed since then.
