Wigan coach Adrian Lam has plenty of reasons to smile.
The reigning Super League champions, currently sitting in fourth spot, have added South Sydney prop George Burgess and out-of-favour Parramatta flyer Bevan French to a 2020 line-up that will already feature Jackson Hastings, Mitch Clark and Jake Bibby.
“It’s big news for the club,” Lam told Omnisport. “With Bevan French, we need a bit of skill and speed here at the club and he’ll certainly bring that to us. He’ll certainly light up Super League next year with his attacking flair.
“It’s the way I want to play and having players that can do that is only going to help us.”
French has signed until the end of the 2021 Super League season.
French scored 35 tries in 47 games for the Eels since making his NRL debut against the Newcastle Knights in round 12 of the 2016 season.
But the 23-year-old has failed to crack Brad Arthur's squad in 2019, leading the Eels to grant his early release.
George Burgess’ three-year deal is the big catch, with the England International – on his day – capable of being devastating.
“It’s amazing news for Wigan rugby league fans, but also rugby league in the world and Super League in particular,” Lam said. “He’s a world class front rower and coming back now is a great sign for Super League and Wigan.”
“He’s been a part of an NRL premiership-winning team when Souths won a couple of years ago. He brings an aggressive, dominant style of rugby league to us.
“We’ve got a couple of great young players coming through and some senior players, so George is only to be able to help them progress and help the club.”
Burgess is currently serving a nine-game suspension after being charged with an eye-gouge against Robbie Farah in round 14.
The sanction has come just eight months after Burgess was suspended for four weeks after eye-gouging Roger Tuivasa-Sheck during an end of year test against New Zealand.
Burgess made his Rabbitohs debut in 2012 and has accumulated 147 appearances for the team. He famously scored a brilliant solo try in Souths' 30-6 victory over Canterbury Bulldogs in the 2014 NRL Grand Final.
IS THE NRL EXODUS TO SUPER LEAGUE REAL?
“It’s not a bad thing when you think we’re also got James Maloney heading over to Catalans and the likes of Gareth Widdop going to Warrington; Super Leagu has certainly showed that it’s respected highly across the world.
“Whilst are losing some Super League players to the NRL, but they’re coming back here as well.”
