After a troubled year that included retirement, a charge of sexual touching without consent and a stint in rehab, embattled former Souths star George Burgess appears to be eyeing a footy comeback.
The 31-year-old forward flagged his intentions via his Instagram account, posting a video in which he is seen looking fit and strong, with the caption ‘The comeback is on’.
And in a sign the plan could be the real deal, Burgess has also scrubbed his old Instagram account and replaced it with a new one called ‘George Burgess 2.0’.
A fit George Burgess teases a possible comeback to rugby league on his Instagram account
Burgess, who has battled hip injuries, can be seen leaping high on to a stack of mats in the clip
George and brother Tom (right) are pictured at the height of their playing success when both represented Souths and won the 2014 premiership
A friend close to Burgess has confirmed the Brit-born Bunnies fan favourite could genuinely be considering a plan to return to the football field despite long-standing hip injuries leading to his early retirement last year.
They say he may also be quietly eyeing a return to the club where it all began – the South Sydney Rabbitohs, where big brother Sam is an assistant coach and twin brother Tom is still playing.
‘He feels his playing days aren’t quite over,’ said a close friend of Burgess.
‘In what form that might be, it’s too soon to say. But he is putting in a lot of work.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Burgess for comment.
If the return pans out, it wouldn’t be Burgess’s first major comeback from a career-threatening injury.
Last year he became the first player in NRL history return to the field after undergoing a rare type of hip resurfacing surgery, which he had performed in 2021.
Burgess became the first-ever player in NRL to return to the field after undergoing rare hip resurfacing surgery
Months of gruelling work and physical rehab saw him return to the field for the St George Illawarra Dragons in a trial game against Parramatta, after which Burgess spoke of his relief at finally returning to action.
‘For once I was going into a game fit and ready to go, so I was pretty confident,’ he said.
‘It felt good to get out there with the boys, with the new team. First game in a long time, so it was just nice to get that on the board.’
However, a year of scandal and setbacks would follow, with Burgess embroiled in a ‘touching’ claim by a woman believed to be known to him.
He was charged in March 2022 after a woman claimed Burgess ‘touched her bottom’ without her consent.
His lawyer Bryan Wrench later entered a plea of not guilty on Burgess’s behalf and told Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court that there was ‘significant dispute’ over what had happened.
The matter has been adjourned until October.
Burgess (pictured with lawyer Bryan Wrench, right) entered a plea of not guilty when he was charged with sexual touching without consent
Soon after the initial claim was filed, Burgess entered a mental health facility for treatment for depression and gambling with friends and family rallying around the star.
A friend close to the veteran forward told Daily Mail Australia that George wanted to ‘get on top’ of his personal issues after several months struggling with injury recovery and doubts surrounding his playing future.
Burgess would eventually play just four games with the Dragons and ended the 2022 season coming off the bench for their NSW Cup feeder side.
He was cut by the Dragons in October in a precursor to the end of his 10-year, 153-game NRL career, which he announced on social media.
‘It has been a dream come true to live out my boyhood dream and represent my family and country through my time especially at @ssfcrabbitohs and @englandrugbyleague,’ he wrote.
‘Unfortunately injuries ended my career before I would’ve liked but I am a happy man walking away from this beautiful game with my achievements.’
George is pictured after being awarded man of the match for Souths against St Helens in the World Club Challenge in February 2022
The Burgess brothers (left to right) Sam, Luke, George and Tom are pictured with mum Julie
George makes up a quarter of the famed Burgess clan – one of the most decorated football families in the country.
His twin brother Tom and older siblings Luke and Sam have all played rugby league at the top level – and all took the field for Souths during the same game in 2013.
The tight-knit family celebrated some good news recently with Sam announcing he is expecting a child with partner Lucy Graham.
Eldest brother Luke and his partner Tori May also welcomed their first daughter in 2022.
George shares three children with wife Joanna Burgess; Boston, five, Birdie, four, and Blainey, three, while Tom shares Sophie, four, and Elodie, two with wife Tahlia Giumelli.