Having watched him at Wigan and having just watched the Cairns Brothers game on YouTube there are some very noticeable differences.
He is clearly carrying a bit more timber however to say he is “fat” is a bit of a stretch, he is a massive bloke, unless you have seen him up close I don’t think you appreciate how big he is and as these body types get older they tend to carry a bit more fat.
His mobility is significantly improved. His lateral movement is different level to what is was prior to his hip replacement. He shows no signs of struggling to slide in defence.
2 more noticeable things are when he hits lads in defence, they stay hit, and when he carries he attracts 3 or 4 defenders makes good post contact meters and finds his front.
I’m not saying he isn’t a risk, but he is a very low risk if our new owner is happy to pay for him to come in for the rest of the season. I think signing him longer than that initially would be unwise until we could assess him and see how his fitness holds up before thinking about a longer term deal.
The cynic that I am with a marketing head on says recruiting a Burgess even short term would attract media attention and boost our online profile and social media engagement all assisting with the IMG criteria for a place in SL.
