Burgess to remain at Warrington after 23-10 Grand Final defeat at Old Trafford
Sam Burgess confirmed he will stay on as Warrington Wolves head coach after his side lost 23-10 to Wakefield Trinity in Saturday's Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford. The announcement came as Warrington suffered another near miss on the competition's showpiece day.
Burgess has taken Warrington to three finals in three seasons as head coach and returned the Wolves to Old Trafford for the first time since 2018. Saturday's defeat leaves Warrington as losing finalists for a fifth time on Super League's biggest stage, and the club also endured narrow Challenge Cup final defeats in 2024 and 2025.
Ewan Irwin and Arron Lindop featured prominently for Warrington at Old Trafford; Irwin is still only 18 and Lindop just two years older. The pair supplied all 10 of Warrington's points, with Lindop crossing for both tries and Irwin adding a conversion.
Burgess pointed to the club's depth during a difficult campaign, saying: "I truly believe in where we're going as a club and the identity we've created. In the middle of the season, we had 15 players injured and the academy system held us together. It'll be the same again next year and I truly believe in our philosophy."
The head coach, who won the National Rugby League Premiership in Australia with South Sydney Rabbitohs in 2014, framed the defeat as the start of a process for the squad. "This is more of a beginning," said the man who won the National Rugby League Premiership in Australia with South Sydney Rabbitohs in 2014. "We've understood what it takes to get here now - well certainly I have - and the squad we are building now is getting more towards 'my' squad. "We've understood as a club and a staff what it takes to get here and we're determined to take that next step, but we have got to keep improving. "I guess we have to let the pain of today drive us forward tomorrow."
Wakefield defeated Warrington to claim the Super League title, becoming champions for the first time since 1968. The victory makes Wakefield the sixth club to join the list of Super League winners and leaves Warrington described in the report as the "nearly men of rugby league".
Burgess, 37, has not yet signed a new deal beyond next season but has given his word to club owner Simon Moran about remaining in charge for next year. "I've not signed a contract yet but I've given my word to Simon Moran and that's probably better than any contract," said Burgess.