 Sam (left) and Luke will be battling for family pride in Cardiff |
Some Bradford fans may feel they have unfinished business from last year when they take on Leeds at the Millennium Stadium this weekend. A year ago, the Rhinos beat the Bulls 42-38 in Cardiff with a hotly-disputed try from the last play of the game, the mere mention of which still causes some pulses to quicken at Odsal. But Bulls forward Sam Burgess is too busy thinking about the future to have any interest in raking over the past. "When we get out on the field it's just about playing your best, nothing to do with past results or anything, we just want to build on our last performance," he told BBC Sport. Building on his last performance is exactly what Burgess has spent the last 12 months doing, as his career has progressed at a remarkable pace.  | 606: DEBATE |
The 19-year-old was among the replacements for last year's Millennium Magic game, but now he is one of the first names on coach Steve McNamara's team-sheet. Since making his Bulls debut in July 2006, he has been named Super League's Young Player of the Year, scored a try on his Great Britain debut and gained a reputation as one of the most feared and lauded players in the game. But any fears the praise may go to his head are nullified by his heartbreaking experience of nursing his father Mark in his ultimately unsuccessful battle against Motor Neurone disease. | It's dog eat dog out there, he's in a Leeds shirt and I'm in a Bradford one. I can't really say I'll be sorry for him, and I'm sure he'd say the same Bradford's Sam Burgess on playing against brother Luke |
"It's all been really fast, I've not had a chance to sit back and have a look," he said. "I'm proud of my achievements but there's a lot I want to do so there's always room for improvement." And his youthful optimism means he does not see his side running out of steam just yet. "I'm a confident person so I don't worry about loss of form or things like that. "I've got a positive attitude and I always want to succeed in what I do so it would be a bit daft worrying about what might happen in the future." One of the most eye-catching parts of Burgess's game is his ability to put in big hits - and on Saturday, one of the recipients could be older brother Luke, who plays for Leeds. And as far as Sam is concerned, that prospect is something that adds an extra element of excitement to Saturday's match. "It's something I always look forward to in addition to the big game, it's more drama.  Burgess looks set for a long international career |
"You definitely don't stop and say 'you all right?' after a tackle - it's dog eat dog out there, he's in a Leeds shirt and I'm in a Bradford one. I can't really say I'll be sorry for him, and I'm sure he'd say the same. "After the game it's back to usual - a lot of people are friends off the field but when you're on it, you're serious and you try to do the best thing for your team. "If that means putting in a big shot on your brother, you just have to do it." Burgess's dependability has been one of the biggest pluses in a misfiring season so far for the Bulls. "We've not quite hit our straps, we have done in some games but in others we've not done what we wanted, so it's credit to us that we are where we are in the table when we've not played our best yet," he said. "There's a bit more to come from us this year." You get the feeling there is plenty more to come from Sam Burgess, too.
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