SAM Burgess’ personal touch can make Warrington into winners and Wembley wonders as the saying ‘It’s good to talk’ is proving true.
For it is not his way or the highway, how the Wolves go about things is very much based on consensus.
The England legend arrived with a huge reputation after starring in the NRL and for his country for more than a decade.
But winger Josh Thewlis has discovered there is more to his boss than the hulking brute that meets the eye.
He revealed: “He tries to reach you on a personal level first. I’ve never really had that with my coaches before.
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“Sam got to know me as a man before he did as a player and I got to do the same with him.
“He’s very approachable – anyone from squad number one to 38 can go into his office and have a chat with him.
“He’s honest with you. I like it straight to the point and he’s delivered that. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the England set-up, squad number 32, whatever, he treats you exactly the same and he expects the same standards.
“It was very different to what I thought he’d be like. From his first day, he’s made that connection with the team and we’ve built a real bond with him now. That’s something we’re really proud of as a group and we’ve really bought into how he wants to play.
“He puts his strategy out there and says, ‘What do you think?’ It’s up to the lads then. We find our best way as a team rather than just having a coach telling us what to do.
“It’s a discussion, not his opinion against others, and he says, ‘At the end of the day, you’re the ones out there, you make the call.’ That’s credit to Sam and it’s good, it’s healthy.”
Thewlis is flourishing under Burgess as Warrington look like genuine contenders, as their quarter final win at St Helens showed.
Now to make Wembley by beating Huddersfield today. Even if they make the June 8 showpiece, little will change.
Thewlis, 22, added: “Sam’s massive on going week by week. Even If we get to Wembley, we won’t look at it until that week.
“In every game, the opposition is coming to take our win off us, that’s how we look at it. That’s our mentality.”
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