19th December 2014

Rabbitohs 2014 Premiership winners, Greg Inglis(Fullback) and Sam Burgess(Lock), have been named in this year’s World XIII following stunning seasons at Club and representative level.

Among many magic moments in 2014 for Inglis, the Rabbitoh produced what would ultimately be dubbed try of the year at this year’s Red & Green Ball, for the fullback’s ANZAC Day effort against the Broncos in round eight. But it wasn’t always Inglis’ ability to find the line that was the most telling part of his season – equally as important was GI’s capacity to bring the ball back on kick-returns, putting the Rabbitohs on the front foot to begin their sets coming out of their red zone. In 24 matches, Inglis ran for an impressive 3995 metres out of 343 runs (second only in the team to Sam Burgess). He also broke a staggering 104 tackles (most in the team, and breaking the line 18 times. The Queenslander scored 13 tries for a total of 52 points, assisted in 16 tries and made five try-saving tackles from the back on his way to a Premiership ring with the Rabbitohs.

For Sam Burgess, 2014 was his last season in the red and green, and the lock-forward seemed to be a man on a mission. Never was that fact more apparent than in this year’s Grand Final, when Burgess played the entire match with multiple fractures to his cheek-bone and eye-socket, etching his name into Rabbitohs Premiership history for his heroics as a result. In addition to earning him a Premiership ring, Burgess’s Grand Final performance would also earn him the coveted Clive Churchill Medal as man of the match in the decider, to become the first Rabbitoh to win the medal named in honour of the South Sydney legend and immortal. Burgess enjoyed what many would agree was his best season yet in 2014 – being recognised as the Dally M Lock of the Year before going on to claim Premiership success and his Clive Churchill Medal. In his 26 appearances this year, ‘Slammin’ Sam scored 10 tries for 40 points, averaging 35.2 tackles and a whopping 178.4 metres per game. Add in 66 tackle breaks, 13 line-breaks and 61 offloads, and Burgess was without doubt one of the side’s hardest working players in season 2014.

For both the Golden Boot and the World XIII, the 13 judges were asked to select a top three in each position, with their first choice earning five points, their second three, and their third one.