After his attempt to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force was rejected because of a speech impediment, Burge devoted his energies to rugby league.

[5] At 93 kilograms or 14 stone 9 pounds and equally effective anywhere in the forwards from lock to prop, he had the speed of a back to complement his strength and an anticipation that made him a support player without peer.

Burge was a teetotaller who was way ahead of his time in observing a strict diet, he used coaching concepts familiar in modern sports psychology and upheld an all-year training regime that continued right through the long Sydney summer off-season.

[6] Burge was the New South Wales Rugby Football League's top try-scorer in 1915, 1916 and 1918 an extremely rare feat in even one year for a forward.

Burge's representative record shows him appearing in every single Australian Test match played in the war-interrupted eight-year period between 1914 and 1922.

His career tally of 146 first grade tries stood for eighty years as the highest by a forward until Manly-Warringah back rower Steven Menzies broke it in 2004.

[8] On 5 July 1958, after watching a Newtown versus North Sydney match at Henson Park, Burge died suddenly after suffering a heart attack, 41 days short of his 64th birthday.

Announced on 17 April 2008, the team is the panel's majority choice for each of the thirteen starting positions and four interchange players.

On 20 July 2022, Burge was named in the St. George Dragons District Rugby League Clubs team of the century as head coach.