Former England international close to call on becoming a coach in the NRL

Sam Burgess is close to making a call on his coaching future, seemingly torn between a return to South Sydney or a reunion with Wayne Bennett at the Dolphins.

Either way, the Rabbitohs’ 2014 grand final hero appears destined for a mentoring career back in the NRL.

Currently in charge of the Russell Crowe-backed Orara Valley Axemen in Group 2 on the Coffs Coast, Burgess has made no secret of his long-term desire to be an NRL head coach.

Bennett’s surprise and conspicuous appearance alongside Burgess in the Axemen’s coaching box last month sparked speculation he could wind up as an assistant to the super-coach for the Dolphins next year.

Brad Fittler also called Burgess into the NSW camp before last week’s State of Origin series opener against Queensland in another indication of the Englishman’s worth as a potential coach.

The 33-year-old said he planned to end the ongoing speculation in the coming week.

“I’ll make a final decision probably early this week so I’ll make that and hopefully everybody will know then,” Burgess told Prime7 news.

Souths coach Jason Demetriou said Burgess would be welcomed back at Redfern in a heartbeat but the Rabbitohs won’t be pressuring the former Test forward who boasts 297 games at club and representative level.

“Look, Sam’s an icon of the club. There’s always opportunities for him to work here,” Demetriou told AAP ahead of Souths’ clash with St George Illawarra on Friday night.

“He’s got some decisions to make and, until he makes them, there’s not much I can say.”