Sam Burgess during a training session ahead of England's ill-fated rugby union World Cup campaign
Sam Burgess could be on the verge of making a dramatic return to rugby league, with Channel Nine in Australia claiming he wants to rejoin South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Channel Nine's rugby league reporter Danny Weidler said Burgess could be tempted to join Leeds Rhinos but added the Rabbitohs were Burgess' preferred destination because he would re-join his brothers Tom and George who have agreed contract extensions with the NRL team.
This would be a huge disappointment for Bath, whose coach Mike Ford expressed confidence Burgess would stay at the Rec and prove his worth as a flanker, where he was employed by the club last season.
Burgess, who has been playing rugby union for Bath for barely a year, was a member of the England squad which failed to qualify from the pool stage of the Rugby World Cup.
He was controversially picked at centre for England's defeat to Wales but then dropped for the 33-13 defeat to Australia which confirmed their elimination.
Although the 26-year-old still has two years remaining on his deal with the English Premiership club, the Australian broadcaster believes the Rabbitohs are in "top-level negotiations" to re-sign Burgess.
Burgess, who left England for Australia in 2010 after four successful Super League seasons with Bradford Bulls, was a key performer for the Rabbitohs when they were crowned NRL champions in 2014.
