Sam Burgess Named the Roy Asotasi Members’ Choice Player of the Year

Author: Words & Video: Tom Skolarikis & Chris Beavon
Timestamp: Fri 10 Oct 2014, 08:50 PM

Rabbitohs lock-forward Sam Burgess has been voted by the Members as the 2014 Roy Asotasi Members’ Choice Award Player of the Year Award.

In what was his last season in the red and green, Burgess was a man on a mission in 2014 and never was that fact more apparent than in Sunday’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.

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.

Roy Asotasi was an integral member of the Rabbitohs playing group and Club both as a Captain and a damaging front row forward after arriving at Redfern in 2007. Regarded by many as one of the first marquee signings of the Rabbitohs’ new era, Asotasi brought with him a wealth of experience as a leader, a seasoned campaigner and a Premiership winner, helping to create an exciting culture at the Rabbitohs built on his own unique brand of hard work, coupled with an unrivalled level of professionalism.

Sam was presented with the Members’ Choice Award by Club Chairman, Nick Pappas.

Previous Winners:

2003 – Justin Smith

2004 – Mark Minichiello

2005 – John Sutton

2006 – Nathan Merritt

2007 – Roy Asotasi

2008 – Luke Stuart

2009 – Nathan Merritt

2010 – Issac Luke

2011 – Michael Crocker

2012 – Adam Reynolds