Souths enforcer Sam Burgess attributed the genetics that made him and his three brothers a force on the footy field to his late father Mark, an old-fashioned prop, and, more remarkably, his mother Julie, who starred as a goalkicking lock in a women's full-contact competition.

''She's going to kill me,'' said Burgess upon revealing what had been a well-kept family secret. ''My mum used to play a lot of league as well. Yeah, she played for a team called the Birkenshaw Dragons. She used to play of a weekend and she gave that away when she started to get older. She played a lot of touch footy after that to keep her fit.''

Big genes: Sam Burgess congratulates George. Credit:Anthony Johnson

Julie, who worked as a language teacher, will no doubt quickly forgive her son for indulging the media. She moved to Australia from Yorkshire on Christmas Eve to be with her four boys, and, according to Sam, was proud of the way he and 20-year-old George had taken to the rough 'n' tumble of the NRL.

''She loves it,'' said Burgess of his mother's reaction to two sons playing top grade together. ''She gets pumped watching footy.''