Despite the criticism about his selection in the World Cup squad and England's failure to make it past the pool stage, Burgess said that it was the realisation of how much he missed the game and his mum, Julie, in Sydney, with brothers Luke, George and Tom, that swayed his decision. Sam Burgess arrives at Sydney Airport with South Sydney CEO John Lee. Credit:Peter Rae "You have got a very short space of time that you can play professional sport at a top level so I think, looking forward, I was going to be playing as a flanker in rugby union, and some of the skills you need in that game I have just never done in my entire life, so it would have taken me a good 18 months to nail them down and play at the top level, by which time I am 28 or 29," Burgess said. "I just started to weigh up what really is in my heart more; if it was union then I would stay there and I would probably finish my career there, but for me, long term, I wanted to come and finish, I guess, what we started in rugby league or in Australia at South Sydney. "There are so many things at South Sydney that I missed so I am just so happy to be back. I have got my whole family here, I have been here five years now and I moved back to England and I realised that actually my home now is where all my family are and where Phoebe and her family are, and South Sydney."

Asked about criticism from Bath coach Mike Ford, who said Burgess didn't have "the stomach for rugby union", Burgess told a press conference at Sydney airport: "What did he say, that I missed my mum. I do. Who doesn't miss their mum. I am not afraid to say that. Fordy is entitled to say what he wants, but I guess it is just more of a reflection on himself than me". Burgess with girlfriend Phoebe Hooke. Credit:Peter Rae Having realised while he was in England that he regularly referred to Sydney as "home", Burgess vowed to play out his career for the Rabbitohs and said he had never considered playing for any other club in the NRL or Super League. "I am here for the long term now," Burgess said. "I love South Sydney so it was never in question about looking elsewhere or at any other clubs. I would find it very hard to put a different shirt on. It is almost like a family itself." Burgess also missed the weekly grind of an NRL season in comparison to English rugby union where teams carry 50-man squads to cover the constant disruption of players being absent on international duty.

"I missed the consistency of working very hard with a group of 25 players, being sore, being beaten up and having to get out there on the weekend and do it again," he said. Who doesn't miss their mum. I am not afraid to say that. Sam Burgess "That is not a mock of rugby union ... but for me personally I just think in rugby league you play with passion and heart, and my heart lies in rugby league so I think the sooner I got back was probably the best." He also felt he had never been fully accepted because of his league background but enjoyed the experience and believed he had achieved a lot in a short period of time. "I was always a league player in union; I don't think that ever changes," Burgess said. "I felt real comfortable in the environment I guess, but it is just the perception of how you are portrayed in the media at times.