Sam Burgess on song in pre-season friendly on the Gold Coast

Sam Burgess scored a try and produced a man-of-the-match performance on his return to rugby league as South Sydney beat Gold Coast Titans 22-20 in a pre-season friendly on the Gold Coast of Australia.

The former Bradford man has re-joined the Rabbitohs after enduring a somewhat difficult spell in rugby union with Bath and England.

And Burgess, who was the hero when South Sydney won the 2014 grand final, made a seamless return to the sport, a superb solo try in the 55th-minute proving the highlight of his display.

The 27-year-old was taken off after a productive 60-minute run-out but said afterwards that he was a little frustrated to be the focus of so much of the post-match discussion.

He told the Sydney Morning Herald: "I just sat and listened to the press conference with (captain) Greg (Inglis) and Madge (coach Michael Maguire). Every second question was about me.

"I don't want to say anything wrong but it's probably a little bit unfair to the team.

"It's not about me. I've come back to play at Souths but I think we need to chill out a bit. I've said before, I'm a small part of a big team, and here to do my job like everyone else."

Burgess left Souths after the 2014 grand final and was named in the England squad for the rugby union World Cup 12 months later.

The selection aroused considerable controversy and came in for further criticism when England bowed out of the tournament early on, although other observers said Burgess was being made a scapegoat for the team's wider failings.

He subsequently quit rugby union in November, with two years left on his Bath deal, citing family reasons.

Souths are thrilled to have him back and captain Inglis said after Saturday's win: "We've always had that belief but, with Sam in the side, his presence and his leadership, you can really feel it.

"Unless you've been in our sheds, you can't understand what he's truly about.

"Obviously all day we can talk about his qualities, that's just the bloke he is, but we have to focus on what South Sydney is about this year."