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Welcome to the coziest ever bench episode. I have three people alongside me. Some of them have some things in common. In fact, um actually all of them do. They've all won silverware at some point in their careers. They've all played for England and they're all now on the bench. Tom Burges, welcome to Well and truly on the bench. Yeah, well and truly. We're here at Magic Weekend, so you will have to forgive us um with the sound. There might be some sound issues for this next 20 to 30 minutes. Bit of echoing. Bit of echoing, but you're not playing. Shame. Yeah. Uh, look, I've I've had a few little uh niggles, you know, this year.
I mean, I've been pushing through it and then Yeah, I'm off. I'm off at the moment. Um, you know, I don't know when. I mean, I'm looking at potentially getting an operation on my hip. On your hip, uh, which is sort of been chronic. So, yeah, that's sort of a decision I need to make. um whether or not I can keep going or you know but also you know you want to be at a good level and you want to be training every you know every brother had a hip. Yeah. So we're twin identical twin brothers so we obviously we got the same hip so it is the exact same hip. Is that how it works?
Losing his hip. Just get a trans can you not get a transplant off George? Could you not hip? Could you not take his good hip? Well it's funny. I'm actually seeing the same surgeon that he saw operated on him. So that gives me a bit of confidence that um but I think it's just something that obviously Was it a success for him? Yeah, it said it changed his life, but I'm not getting the same as what he would get. Um but yeah, we won't go into too much into it, but basically it's sort of it's something that got worse over the last year and we've seen that
from scans. So it's yeah, it's obviously I just need to get it sorted now and hopefully you know going into my last year I'll I'll give it a red. This is your last year. Well, next year is my last year to get it fixed this year and have a good final year. Yeah. And I wanted to make sure I'm not, you know, cutting into preseason as well. That's also going through my mind. So, it's about a 4 month recovery. So, yeah, we'll we'll see. Obviously, not no decisions been locked in just yet, but yeah.
What's stopping you from doing it now, though? Uh, nothing really. I mean, I'm pretty close to getting it s sorted. Obviously I played against Saints uh two weeks ago and I've been feeling all right but like it's also other things as you know start cropping up little uh you know start off yeah old age crops up that's what it is when you get to over 30 it takes a bit longer than Yeah. So I mean I'm I think I am going to get it done soon and then uh yeah hopefully time it right. So, you know, the new coach has come in, Jim Lenan, is a great guy and we've had some good conversations already and, you know, he's in support of anything I want to do and the club have been really supportive of me, too. So, I can't complain about
any of that and I'm just yeah, I want to um get things right and give it a good crack and yeah, so just on Jim Lanahan, I don't want to spend too much time talking about Huddersfield on this pod, but there's certainly been like a sense that Huddersfield things are on the way up with him as coach. Yeah. You know what? We've been through some tough times. You know, just in my short time at the Giants, there's been a bit of a lot of uncertainty and obviously uh you know, Luke Robinson came into the role and I thought, you know, he did a great job. He tried his best, but I think um the club have gone in the right direction with, you know, a bit of a fresh start. He's come in, he's brought a fresh, you know, view from overseas
and he's got no ties. cuz obviously he was at Huddersfield before, but yeah, I think he's he's brought in a real good training sort of mindset and doing the right things we need to do and um I think he just gets it, you know, he gets the team sort of needs to do as a, you know, come together and all that. So, I'm really positive about Jim and then there's lots of things happening behind the scenes at the Giants with a new training facility like months away from being built, which is going to be that's going to be great for us. I think you know we've not even got a field at the moment which is tough you know as you boys would know if you're training so it's uh yeah like there's lot where do you train we were on we've been
training at Drewbury Rams go to country but uh like you think we just been bouncing around we had we've got a 4G pitch but that was undergoing a bit of repair too so it's it's you know it's tough when you haven't got like that base so I think that moving forward uh yeah definitely It's like, you know, the brighter days and looking forward to people wouldn't believe the difference in facilities would certain clubs, other public clubs in super like we should do something like that. We should go around and but there's an interesting thing about that. I was chatting to Brian Carney about this and where did he play? He played at Monster didn't he? So Monster didn't have a training
ground. They had a training ground in Cork and one in Limmerick and they were both rubbish. Monster were winning everything. They got a brand new training facility that was central to both of them. So what half the players are doing an hour and a half commute to training one day then they change and do an hour and a half the other way and then when they got the new training facility they've not won anything. So I do agree like absolutely facil I think facilities help you recruit talent and keep talent on the pitch but do you want to go to Huddersfield just on that? Yeah look I've been asked this question Huddersfield is actually my hometown club. Uh, you got that song. For those listening, Sam was making the money sign.
What's the money signing? I don't think he was. I think he was just scratching his index finger. No, look, I'm from Kirkley's area. I play I represented them when I was younger. And I also wanted to I've got three kids, you know. I wanted to show them where I'm from. I didn't want to come back and just sign for Catalans, you know, like Sam was trying to get me at Catalans, but he didn't have enough for that, he said. So, But um but yeah, like I could have gone anywhere, but like I just thought I wanted to go back to Yorkshire. I wanted to be back where I'm from and uh that was, you know, a big draw card for me. Do you feel any pressure? Because like say you are well paid. I've never been Yeah. What about when you went to Toronto?
Yeah. No, he never got that pay. No. Yeah. That was potential. That was potential money. So I don't understand. But there is a bit there's a bit more pressure in Tom. You know, like you come in, you're like a marquee big money sign in Fersfield and so this must be a tricky time for you where you've come over, things haven't gone well for the club and then you're like watching that must be quite tough for you. Yeah, there's always pressure you know in these jobs and you know I've felt it throughout my career at certain various stages but someone wise once said pressure is privilege and I do think privilege he's probably got it from he got it from Kathy Freeman.
give us a talk before the grand final about, you know, all the pressure that she had in the Olympics and, you know, it's a bit of a cliche, but I don't mind it. It's sort of, yeah, anyone can talk about, you know, I'm paid well or whatever. I'm a marquee player, but I think I just need to come in. I feel like I've, you know, I've contributed to the club. Um, obviously at the moment I'm I'm not playing, but I feel like I've played more games than I haven't um at the moment. But obviously, yeah, we just got to keep contributing and I want to try and leave the club in a better place than when I found it.
Just on pressure, I don't think anyone in the game feels pressure like head coaches. Do you agree? Do you feel like your brother's aged or do you look pretty good? Definitely get a bit gray. I saw a picture of him and I know he doesn't listen to the podcast so I can say it cuz it won't ever get back to me. Tom will take him to this one. I'll send it to him. Well, he's saying he's got fat and gray. No, definitely not fat. I'm just saying I think pressure ages you.
Yeah. Oh, it's it's it's a tough job and know that's why it's He's doing a great job though, isn't he? But Sam's a different Sam's always been under pressure, right? Like where wherever he's been in his life, like there's been pressure. So, um it's a different pressure. I get that. But it's almost a pressure that you can't influence. That's the problem with coaching, isn't it? And coaching, it's not like as a player, you go into work and you go home and you've got a bit of time where you probably you can switch off. Coaches just don't have that luxury. I probably saw him more when I was in Australia to be honest. So that's that shows how much, you know, he's he's working and yeah, he's always I think he's learning a lot as well as he's here
and I think it's been great that he's had Steve Mack in this year to be fair. help you know relieve some of that pressure and a lean on each other as well. Do you know just on Australia I started the podcast by saying that you guys had some things in common but you and I have something in common too don't we yeah sh but all means you're from canola or the southerntherland sh is the area where I god's country the real gods I live in Australia but that's where you still got a place there yeah you go back there yeah that's the plan do you have an Australian passport you're an you're Aussie yeah I'm due I'm a dual citizen. Really around sand now. Jump your arm over here.
I'm not quite where Victor said he's Aussie through and through. I can't believe he said that bad. Um but yeah, like I actually I was the last brother to obviously get to Australia and then I was the first one to get my citizenship just because Do you all have it now? I was good at paperwork. Um just cuz I was good at paperwork. Can we just go back? We just we can easily skip over that. Tom, describe what you mean. Why he's so good at paperwork. I'm just good at filling forms. You like filling forms? Yeah, I'm good at like I just get it done and then I think I just get it done to be fair.
Straight to be a receptionist one. Yeah, I'm I'm a good admin administrator. Um what do you like about filling? All the brothers had partners to be fair at the time and I didn't have one. So I went I think helped me. I went into a different pile, you know, you didn't have to do go through your partner. Uh, it's a little bit more expensive, but I just got it. Um, yeah, I got it through myself. But does everyone all the Burgess family are you Aussie citizens? Uh, I think it's just Sam who's not. And yeah, he actually was close to getting it. And then when he came over here, they went You got to have a PR. Don't you have to have like 5 years on your um I'm sure he'll be able to get it at some stage.
Five years of what? Living there. Living. Yeah. And being on your PR. So you go there's a few a permanent residence card visa thing. But I love having the two passports. Just for anybody who is watching this or listens to this, if you've got any forms that need filling in tax returns, in I wanted to get to this. So I'm actually trying to go for my dual citizenship. So I'm, as everybody knows, Australian, but I would like to get my British, but the paperwork really frightens me. So yeah, if you do happen to finish playing myself with business.
Yeah, that could work really well. Yeah, I'll use your help, please. Thank you. Just do your best. And like they always just send it off. to send off. Yeah, I like that. So, is that the plan though to go back to Australia? Yeah, it is. I mean, obviously I signed three years with the Giants and I'm I'm not looking to progress past that. You know, this is three years and then, you know, I want to finish on my own terms. So, yeah, the plan is to go back to Australia. Um, I do have, you know, a job, a role lined up back at the rabbit hose, which I'm looking forward to as well. Um, admin at the rabbit hose. Uh
yeah, I be the I like that. But we might laugh at that. It's very important, isn't it? Yeah, it is. I had someone in my business who just did admin and like they are like the most valuable person. Like you latch on to them like is it admin? Cath admin? It's a bit of admin, bit of ambassador sort of role, but it's sort of just being around the club and it's not full-time. So it's something which is going to be good because I can go back and also you know figure out what I want to do in terms of like yeah other work and yeah I mean I love I've loved being back in England but also I do miss Australia and I suppose that's where our base is now. You know my mom's there she's over here at the moment but she's
really misses uh me being around the corner with the grandchildren everything and the other two brothers are there. So yeah, I think um I think that's the end sort of game. What's Luke doing now? Cuz obviously we don't hear much about Yeah, Luke is actually the smartest brother out of all of us. He's into property and he's sort of got his own business now. So if you look it up, buy Burgess if you want to get in any property investment in Australia. He's into that and he's doing really well. Yeah, he's uh yeah, like I've said, he's always been the smartest one out of all of us and he's he's good with numbers.
He's pretty good. Who does Luke look like? Because like U3, Sam's got a he's got a smattering of you two in him. Like you can see the connection. Then Luke's like he's just a black sheep, isn't he? He's like he couldn't look more different to you. I think he look like the milkman. Uh I don't know. Yeah, I think he's got more of a look of my mom to be honest, but he's uh Yeah, he's got darker hair on him. I think Sam and Luke look more alike. And then it sounds like a mix of Sam, me and George. So, can we go back to the identical twins? And I know we kind of laughed about the hip thing, but is it is there like a telepathic thing because Yeah.
Yeah. No, there definitely is. I mean, I'm not sure if it's telepathic or you just know someone so well cuz you've lived your whole life with them that you know how they're going to react to certain things and how their, you know, their mind works. So it's funny like you yeah certain things like you think oh I know what George would be thinking there and know how he would react but then on other occasions you think what the hell is he do what's he up to that's where you see your differences yeah so we are different as twins uh we've got certain obviously personality differences like uh like he's the creative one you know a lot of I don't know if you've seen he's getting into acting now he's
always been an arty party I think he actually came out the other day and said he never really wanted to play rugby league. He just wanted to be an actor, but I don't know if that is or a boxer boxing as well, which yeah, who was that watching that? I don't think he's a boxer either. But he had a go and he's got a chin on him. Oh yeah, he took a couple, didn't he? But I think he just had his pec so he tore his pec off the bone in the first round. So for anyone like boxing like tried to lift your arm up, he couldn't lift his left arm. Did you feel anything? Uh, I didn't actually know. I just kept feeling the shots to his head. I kept saying, "Get your left hand up." But I didn't know why he wasn't lifting it. So,
yeah, that was tough to watch really for me. I didn't like it. So, please don't do another fight, please. I don't know if you've ever watched your brother fight or whatever or get punched in a ring. No, but yeah, it's not nice. So, I definitely felt it. And um yeah, I thought I don't think my mom wants him to fight again, but you know what? He challenged himself and I think if he sort of he looked back at he probably wanted if he was going to do it again he'd probably have a longer camp you know and yeah he's been busy acting. So have you got any ambitions to act? It's funny you say that he uh he just got he just been cast in a new role in a Viking series and he's filming in Northern Ireland and he's got a brother
in this in the show and they've not cast him yet and he's like do you want to do it? I'm like, "What do you mean? I don't I need to be like an actor." He's like, "Just send an audition tape and I'll send it to him." So, maybe speak to Keith Mason, get one together. Yeah. Be Keith. Uh I don't know. I'm not sure about that. Um I missed a lot of that because of the announcer doing such a great job here at Magic. Can they still hear us on the mics, you reckon? Yeah. Um but I just I suppose I know that we don't have a lot of time. We're very appreciative of you joining us. on the bench today. But on the podcast, you've got on and off the bench. I've tipped
you up. You know about it. On the bench, something you want to take out of the game or life or sport or whatever. I had a little think about this. And I just think like with the NRL and everything like potentially coming in and trying to help out and be, you know, co-owners of the game, I think that would be great. And then one thing I would maybe have less of is games. I think the NL have done a great job with the games and like the amount of games that the quality that they've put out there. I just think maybe we should mirror that and I probably have the same amount of rounds. Uh you know, not loads less, but it's like three or four rounds in a year that we could take out and I think we get a lot more quality if I'm honest.
Would Magic be one of them? Are you a Magic fan? Loot fixture. Oh yeah, I love Magic. Uh it's definitely something that they should keep and um you know the NL that's something they stole from us so we've got that one over them but I think there's a lot of things obviously being in Australia for a long part of my career 12 years like I sort of saw how well they could do it over there and there's certain things that they do and I'm really hoping you know it's not the be all end all but I think the NOL can really help out the Super League and make it a really good partnership moving forward.
Yeah. Cool. What do you think about that? No. All I was going to say was the solution to that would be the teams don't want to give up a home game for Magic, do they? So, I think if you finish in the bottom half of the table, you lose one of your home games to Magic. Yeah. Because you shouldn't be rewarded in our game for finishing below halfway. So, one of the punishments, not giving them half distribution like they've been doing. just make the bottom half of the table lose a home game and then Magic exists not as a loop fixture but as a fixture. Yeah, it's a fair point. Yeah. On the bench.
Uh people eating on airplanes. People eating on planes. Like short disgusting. If it's a 2-hour flight. Disgusting. You do not need to have a three course meal. You don't need to have any cheese. It's been eated here. Only people that like bring their own food onto the plane. It's okay. No, I don't think you need to eat anything for 2 hours. You're going to Australia there. You Yeah, that's one goal. I get it. But if you're flying easy jet, you don't only because I was recently had one of a lady making uh cream cheese quason next to me.
Flying from France. I'm like, you're not ordering that green curry. Are you that hungry? Right. You didn't get up and have breakfast in the airport. Yeah, but just eat at home. of all the things, salmon as well. And I'm assuming she didn't keep that refrigerated. She's brought that from home. Crumbs all over. Oh, it did my head in. But I say you can order a cheese toasty and this anemic thing in a plastic bag comes down the airport. But who's ordered that? Get off the plane.
I'll be honest. I've ordered a Thai green curry on a plane before. Is that in first class? Not bad. Yeah. No, just on like a brown air or whatever it was. No, imagine that. You've never been on Ryan. Then you can't order a Thai green curry on Ryan. Honestly, before you can order to your seat before the fight takes off. I reckon the bloke sat next to him. Had the worst two hours of his life. First of all, he sat next to the biggest man in the world. Then he orders a curry.
I did it on a team fight. All the team were there watching me. Was it a good one? Would you recommend it? I don't. Yeah, I recommend it. You didn't get sick. No, that's good. You got to build your immune system, thank you. I've gotten on the bench and it is flights as well. So, this works quite well. Um, when I've just been in Greece, landed back in Manchester and people started clapping. Oh, when it lands. All the Catalan players do it as a joke. Whenever they land, someone will start it and the full plane goes up.
I don't like that either. Stop it. Everyone who's doing that, stop. Well, it's like getting out of an Uber and clapping your Uber driver. Can you imagine that? You've got me here. We made it. We made You got me to the hill, Dickinson, on time. It's like, why are you clapping? So, I'm going to stick with planes as well. And I don't know if I've done this one before, so if I have, I apologize, but people need to wear shoes on planes. Do not take your shoes off. And if you do, only have them off in your seat. But when you're getting up and you're going and you only ever go one place on the plane, don't you? And that is that dirty little
cubicle toilet. Who's going in their bare foot? Oh, I've I've seen some signs. Birth. toilet sometimes with socks on which is might be even worse because those socks you're going to get home you're going to take your shoes off at the front door and those socks that have been in that dirty toilet are walk your house what about the new fight that they've launching quantis from London to Sydney 27 hours you take your shoes off on that one no I'll have slippers on slippers and socks and then I'll probably have three pairs of socks Jenna's got like a trouser suit and heels on just walking down the aisle. Um I look, we've got such a busy day. I we need to wrap. Um Tom Burges, thank you so much. We can't wait to see you back out on the pitch. Thank you for
joining us and uh yeah, we look forward to seeing you. Good luck. Good luck with your head. Yeah, good luck with that. Thank you. Thanks for watching. Thanks for listening.
