Tuesday 3 November 2015 13:50, UK
Super League champions Leeds Rhinos have confirmed an interest in signing dual-code international Sam Burgess from Bath.
Burgess returned to training with the Aviva Premiership side on Monday after being given time off following England's disappointing World Cup campaign.
But the 26-year-old Yorkshireman, known to be unhappy in rugby union, has been tipped to cut short his stay in the 15-man code and return to his old NRL club South Sydney.
However, the Rhinos have also been linked with an audacious move and chief executive Gary Hetherington on Tuesday revealed for the first time that he has spoken to Bath about the availability of the former Bradford Bulls forward.
"Certainly, we'd be interested if he became available," said Hetherington.
"Clearly South Sydney would be favourites but if that proves difficult, certainly for 2016, we would be keen and we've made that known to Bath. Sam is aware of that as well.
"We have a watching brief on it, as I would imagine would most Super League clubs.
"I think it would be a terrific boost for the Super League competition if any club could bring him into Super League."
Burgess is just 12 months into a three-year contract at Bath but Hetherington says Leeds are willing and able to pay a transfer fee, especially after elite clubs voted this summer to introduce a marquee player rule into the salary-cap regulations to attract a higher calibre of player into Super League.
"We've had a record year on and off the field and we would certainly be prepared to pay a transfer fee," said Hetherington, who says he has not yet determined the size of any asking price from Bath.
"I've always said Leeds would not use the marquee player rule unless it was something exceptional and Burgess certainly comes into that category," he added.
A product of the Dewsbury Moor amateur club, Burgess is a cult hero at Souths after defying a fractured cheekbone in the first tackle of the match to help them win the 2014 NRL Grand Final in his last appearance.
Bath head coach Mike Ford has included Burgess in his 41-man squad for this season's European Champions Cup, but revealed last week that the player "didn't quite feel right" on his return from World Cup duty.
England were determined to take the player to the World Cup, dropping the more established Northampton centre Luther Burrell to fast track a player who they felt offered leadership and big-game experience.
Other than a strong final-quarter cameo off the bench against a tiring Fiji in the World Cup opener, he was unable to make an impression on the tournament as the hosts crashed out in the pool stage.
His union transition has been made harder by England's insistence on using him as an inside centre while last season he played his best rugby for Bath at blindside flanker.
