South Sydney coach Michael Maguire says he is relieved captain Sam Burgess escaped a two-week ban.

Maguire said he was pleased Burgess was given a fair judiciary hearing before beating a dangerous tackle charge to ensure the forward’s leadership and strength would be key in Friday night’s match against Brisbane.

“You want your best players playing all the time. They are important to every team and it is a great bonus for us to have Sammy,” Maguire said.