The identical twin brother of George Burgess is in line to be called up to make his NRL debut following the standing down of the South Sydney forward for smashing a car window in Cairns.
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In what would be a fascinating twist to the incident for which the barnstorming English forward has been charged by police, his twin Tom is in the frame to be named as his replacement for Sunday's match against Parramatta at ANZ Stadium.
Tom, 21, is the fourth - and largest - of the Burgess brothers to join the Rabbitohs, linking with the club this season alongside elder siblings Sam, Luke and twin George.
He is yet to appear in first-grade, instead playing with Souths feeder team North Sydney Bears in the NSW Cup competition but may get an unlikely opportunity in the NRL due to his twin's run-in with the law.
Souths will meet with NRL officials to determine a suitable penalty for George, who was charged with two counts of wilful damage after he allegedly throwing a street sign through the rear window of a vehicle following their 30-24 win over the Gold Coast Titans in Cairns on Sunday.
“I would like to apologise unreservedly to the Rabbitohs Members, sponsors and everyone in the community,” George said in a statement released by the club on Tuesday morning.
“I have let my team and my family down. I acknowledge that I am a role model for kids and I will do everything I can to restore my reputation through working harder in the community.
“It is my responsibility to ensure that this type of behaviour does not happen again.
“I will learn from my mistake and bounce back stronger and better as a person.”
Tom previously made nearly 50 appearances for Bradford in the English Super League before being the latest family acquisition for Souths.
