Coaching Career
Vital Statistics
- Nickname(s)
- Chunky
- Born
- Tuesday, 14th August, 1894
- Died
- Saturday, 5th July, 1958 (Aged 63 years and 325 days)
- Place Of Birth
- Redfern, New South Wales, Australia
Honours & Awards
Based only on data available in the RLP database. This information should be used as a guide only.
- The Ashes
- 1920
- Test Series
- New Zealand vs Australia 1919
- Interstate Series
- 1912, 1915, 1919, 1920
- International Hall Of Fame
- 2004
- National Rugby League Hall Of Fame
- 2004
- Immortal
- 2018
- NSWRL Hall Of Fame
- 2023
Known Family Links
- Brother
- Peter Burge
- Laidley Burge
- Alby Burge
Biography
The greatest try-scoring forward the code has produced, 'Chunky' Burge was a product of Souths RU club. Switching to league, he played first grade for Glebe in 1911, at age 16, and was unlucky not to have toured with the Kangaroos that year. A dashing attacking player at lock, Burge's long-striding running style saw him score a record 146 tries during his first grade career. He scored 6 tries playing for Sydney against a visiting Maori side in 1922 and still holds the premiership record for scoring 8 tries in a club match for Glebe in 1920. Burge made his Test debut against Great Britain in 1914 and after taking part in the Test series against NZ (1919) and Great Britain (1920) he toured with the 1921-22 Kangaroos. Burge was a true professional; innovative and dedicated, and his coaching career influenced the way the game was played in this country. After setting a host of club records with Glebe, he was captain-coach of runners-up St George in 1927 and coached Norths (1935), C’bury (1936), Newtown (1940) and Wests (1947) after his retirement as a player. In 1937 he travelled overseas as a supporter of the Kangaroos but was taken ill in NZ (the first port of call) and was forced to return home. Always one who prided himself on his physical fitness Burge died in 1958, age 64, after watching a Norths v Newtown match at Henson Park.
- ALAN WHITICKER
Coaching Career Statistics
All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.
To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.
Competitions | ||||||||||||||
Competition | Games | W | L | D | Win % | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
City vs Country Firsts | - | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||||||
Country Carnival | - | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||||||
NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) | - | 193 | 108 | 78 | 7 | 55.96% | List | |||||||
NSWRFL Finals | - | 12 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 25.00% | List | |||||||
City Cup | - | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 50.00% | List | |||||||
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Australia - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | Games | W | L | D | Win % | ||||||||
NSW City Firsts | 1938 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||||||
| ||||||||||||||
NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Year | ||||||||||||||
Team | Season | Games | W | L | D | Win % | ||||||||
Glebe | NSWRFL 1923 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 37.50% | List | |||||||
St George | NSWRFL 1927 | 18 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 72.22% | List | |||||||
St George | NSWRFL 1928 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 85.71% | List | |||||||
St George | NSWRFL 1929 | 17 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 64.71% | List | |||||||
St George | NSWRFL 1930 | 17 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 47.06% | List | |||||||
Eastern Suburbs | NSWRFL 1932 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 60.00% | List | |||||||
North Sydney | NSWRFL 1935 | 17 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 52.94% | List | |||||||
Canterbury | NSWRFL 1936 | 15 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 60.00% | List | |||||||
Newtown | NSWRFL 1939 | 14 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 14.29% | List | |||||||
Newtown | NSWRFL 1940 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 60.00% | List | |||||||
North Sydney | NSWRFL 1945 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 53.33% | List | |||||||
Western Suburbs | NSWRFL 1947 | 20 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 60.00% | List | |||||||
NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | Games | W | L | D | Win % | ||||||||
Glebe | 1923 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 37.50% | List | |||||||
St George | 1927-30 | 66 | 44 | 18 | 4 | 66.67% | List | |||||||
Eastern Suburbs | 1932 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 60.00% | List | |||||||
North Sydney | 1935, 1945 | 32 | 17 | 14 | 1 | 53.13% | List | |||||||
Canterbury | 1936 | 15 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 60.00% | List | |||||||
Newtown | 1939-40 | 29 | 11 | 18 | 0 | 37.93% | List | |||||||
Western Suburbs | 1947 | 20 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 60.00% | List | |||||||
Overall | 1923-1947 | 193 | 108 | 78 | 7 | 55.96% | List |
Contributions:
Max Turner, Greg Fiveash, Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson, Rugby League Tables, Tony McCarron, Alan Katzmann, Bill Bates, Jamie Murdoch
Your Say
12/03/2012
Statistically, a peerless player. Lifted an average side (Glebe) to a position of being competitive with the top teams. If only there was footage of Burge, Messenger, Horder, et al.
26/04/2012
146 tries in 154 first-grade games (8 in one game) speaks for itself. Percentage-wise,
far in advance of other try-scoring forwards
such as Steve Menzies!
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