JWH doesn't care if he can't tell Burgess twins apart

The Burgess twins Tom and George shaving their heads might make it confusing for some, but as far as Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is concerned it doesn't make them any lighter.

George lost his flowing locks because he needed stitches for a head wound, and Tom then had a crew cut in sympathy with his brother – they accidentally clashed heads in a tackle that forced the injury – to make them once again very difficult to tell apart.

But they book-end the South Sydney Rabbitohs front row and that's all that concerns Waerea-Hargreaves.

"Both big bodies… big men… I didn't know they shaved their heads but it makes no difference to me," he told NRL.com.

"They are both playing great footy. But if they come near me I have to stop them.

"So whether it's Tom, George or even Sam... any Burgess I'm going to tackle."

Taking care of the 120kg identical twins and elder brother Sam's 116kg frame is something Waerea-Hargreaves takes to heart. He has no 113kg Dylan Napa (suspension) to help.

But Siosiua Taukeiaho and Isaac Liu (both 108kg) are on hand to add some weight to the argument.

Waerea-Hargreaves' eyes light up when talking of the battle with the Rabbitohs forwards coming up in Saturday night's preliminary final at Allianz Stadium.

"I get so excited for these games. Not so much because it's Souths but because it's a preliminary final," he said.

"Playing footy at this time of year, you just so look forward to every game because they mean so much."

It has meant the world to the Roosters pack to have a week off – jumping straight to week three after their week one win over the Sharks.

"People ask me if I ever get sore. I am always sore," Waerea-Hargreaves said.

"You obviously learn how to deal with it. And the extra rest time is a bit of a blessing.

"But the amount of satisfaction you get out of what we do, it's leaps and bounds on the amount of pain we have to take.

"And I look at halves and hookers – they are half our size. We've at least got some weight behind us to give us a bit of protection."

The 29-year-old prop has invested his recovery time wisely.

"I'm into a bit of everything. But I'm big on massaging. There's a centre we use in Surry Hills which is big on infrared lighting and magnesium flotation pods and acupuncture."

The muscle rejuvenation methods sound a little space-age but they've worked wonders on his 193cm frame.

"It's all to do with reducing the lactic acid in our bodies. At this time of year you do everything you can to refresh.

"After 27 weeks of getting bashed around, I feel pretty good."

The Burgess brothers might put an end to that on Saturday night.

But at least Waerea-Hargreaves is raring to go. To keep his excitement levels in check, he brings wife Chelsea and young daughters Zali and Harper into play.

"I try to keep it low-key… minimal routine... I use the kids as a bit of a distraction," he said.

"And I have to say my wife is a pretty important part. She's an expert in knowing my moods so she knows when I need to do certain things on my own or be around the family.

"I don't have to explain what's required. She's been with me through enough of the highs and lows that she reads me so well."

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