Sam Burgess could play the Kiwis next week

Sam Burgess could make his return to rugby league as soon as next week. Photo /Getty

Sam Burgess could return to face the Kiwis in the third test next week - and it's all thanks to a former Warrior.

This morning (NZT) it was reported that Burgess has ended his short lived foray with rugby, cutting his ties with Bath and is set to rejoin the Rabbitohs in the NRL.

But could he be back on a league field in a little over a week, representing his country in front of a sold out DW stadium in Wigan?

The answer is conceivably - yes.

Usually the tournament rules would not allow a team to bring in a player halfway through a series, unless another player was ruled out on medical grounds and the new man came in as a replacement.

But Sam Tomkins' withdrawal with an injury before the series - and the fact that England coach Steve McNamara decided not to replace the former Warriors fullback at the time - means that there is a spot open in his squad.

An English Rugby League official, when asked about the possibility of Burgess' return to face the Kiwis next week, told the New Zealand Herald he "wouldn't like to say yes or no at this stage...it would depend on a few things."

They might be
1) Whether Burgess has an appetite to play
2) The result of the second test
3) How Steve McNamara and his coaching staff feel his inclusion would work for the team.

However, it's hard to see how it wouldn't be a massive lift for the England side. Burgess' return would be welcomed by all the players, and it would create huge interest in the third test. He remains close to all his former teammates, and as he milled around outside the dressing room two weeks ago after England's clash with France at Leigh it felt like the return of a prodigal son.

And Burgess might have redemption against the Kiwis on his mind. He was the best player on the field in the 2013 World Cup semi-final in London, the game that was stolen by New Zealand at the death thanks to Shaun Johnson's heroics.

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- By Michael Burgess in London