“I have a hell of a lot of improvement to do as a player,” the 23-year-old said.
“Hopefully under Madge (new coach Michael Maguire) I can reach my potential this year.”
Despite his strong showing in the Charity Shield however, Burgess played down his role in Souths loss, but he was excited to back on the field, after such a long time off it.
“It’s been a long time since I had a run around, so it’s really nice to be back in the team,” he said. “That’s the thing I really missed the most.
“And while I was disappointed we didn’t get a win, I was really happy to be back on the field.
“My main goal now is just to stay fit.
“Secondly, I just want to play some consistent football and keep working on my game.
“I came over (from England) to challenge myself in the NRL and I have really enjoyed it so far, but this year is a huge challenge for me.
“I don’t want to say I’ve got my best years ahead or anything like that because it’s a big statement.
“All I can say is that I’m really excited to try and improve as a player this year.”
For Burgess, it is all about focusing on the footy as we get closer to the season, and playing his heart out for Souths.
“I’ve been boring.
“I haven’t had a lot to talk about. I probably said all I could say and I’ve been injured for nine or 10 months. You don’t really want to talk to anyone.
“It’s not that I’ve tried to keep a low profile, it’s just how it turned out.”