Is Sam Burgess the man to take Warrington Wolves forward?

Having opened talks with the former England international at the weekend, the Warrington Guardian understands an agreement between the two parties is close and The Wire have settled upon Burgess as the man to replace the departed Daryl Powell.

While undoubtedly one of the finest players of this generation, the 34-year-old has no previous head coaching experience having taken up a role on South Sydney Rabbitohs’ coaching staff at the start of this year.

If and when the appointment is confirmed, it is a move that will no doubt divide opinion so here, we assess some pros and cons…

A man players will want to play for?

Nobody can argue with Burgess’ standing within rugby league on both sides of the globe.

He is arguably the best player to pull on an England jersey in this generation and is one of if not the best English player to have played in the NRL for some time.

His leadership qualities on the field were clear throughout his career and Warrington will no doubt be hoping that translates to a coaching role.

Burgess was a man players wanted to play with and follow into battle – he has an aura about him that may end up attracting players to the club that may otherwise have gone elsewhere.

This could also count as a negative but at the age of 35, Burgess will be the youngest person to take charge of a Super League team since 2015 when he takes over.

There should be a freshness to his methods and ideas and having only recently emerged from the playing side of the dressing room, he should be well in-tune with what the modern player likes and wants from a head coach.

They have gone down the experienced route and it has not worked – why not try something new?

Sam Burgess was an inspirational figure for both South Sydney and England during his playing career (Image: Andrew Cornaga/photosport.nz/SWPix.com)

A huge and unnecessary gamble?

Of course, there is no guarantee that the appointment of even the most experienced and qualified coach will be a success, but turning to someone who has never held a head coaching position does seem like a rather large punt from Wire.

And in their current situation, there will be plenty who will ask if it is a risk they should be taking.

The very same people will also say this is another case of Warrington “seeing stars” as it were in terms of pursuing the biggest name possible to seek the headlines.

Burgess will no doubt attract those and will increase casual interest in the club, but at what cost?

His well-documented off-field battles in recent years will also bring about questions about whether or not he is the man to solve the perceived culture problems at The Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Wire fans can only hope those issues are firmly behind him and that the club’s due diligence has been done properly.