Warrington head coach Burgess signs deal until 2026

Warrington Wolves head coach Sam Burgess has extended his contract until the end of the 2026 season.

The 35-year-old former dual-code England international signed a two-year deal with the Wire last August and took over in the off-season.

He has led the club to the Challenge Cup final, where they were beaten by Wigan, and the top of the Super League table in his first campaign.

“I love the town and the community and both me and my family are really enjoying our time here,” he told the club website.

“The support from the board has been fantastic and the fans have been brilliant with me.

“We’re heading in the right direction and I felt two years wasn’t enough and a third gives us more scope to plan with what we’re building here.”

Burgess had previously coached at Orara Valley and South Sydney Rabbitohs in Australia before being named as Daryl Powell’s replacement for his first position as a head coach.

He spent the vast majority of his playing career with the Rabbitohs before retiring at the age of 30 because of a shoulder injury.

Analysis – BBC Sport’s rugby league reporter Matt Newsum

Burgess’ arrival at Warrington came with considerable scepticism around rugby league given his relative lack of first grade coaching experience, so it is testament to the job he has done in such a short space of time.

So far he’s turned Warrington from disjointed strugglers to a genuine title contender and already reached a Wembley cup final.

Collective improvement has been impressive, which the players themselves have put down to Burgess instilling a togetherness, breaking down barriers within the group and notably his player management on an individual level.

His aura and career history affords him initial respect but the way he carries himself within the club and interacts in training shows his ability to knit relationships within the group.

He’s affable, personable and good value to the media which also helps draw publicity to both the club and the sport itself, and with Australian clubs certainly keeping tabs on Burgess’ progress, the Wire have moved quickly to get his signature and extend his stay.