Former South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL player Sam Burgess has denied driving with cocaine in his system, despite testing positive after being pulled over for a roadside test.

NSW police confirmed to AAP that a 34-year-old man was stopped in the Sydney suburb of Kingsford for roadside testing at about 10am on Thursday and subsequently taken to a nearby station after testing positive for an illicit substance.

The driver underwent secondary testing and was issued a notice to appear at Waverley Local Court on February 15 for driving unregistered.

"Inquiries are continuing, and police will await the result of a secondary oral fluid analysis," a police statement said.

On Thursday evening, Burgess took to social media to deny he had driven with drugs in his system, saying the roadside test showed a positive result for cocaine.

"After I was released from the police station, I immediately and voluntarily went to an independent, internationally accredited testing facility and undertook a urine test," he wrote in a statement.

Burgess played 182 games for the Rabbitohs between 2010 and 2019.

In March, the NRL fined Burgess $30,000 for using illicit drugs and threatening another player in 2018, and driving with traces of cocaine in his system in February 2021 while working at the Rabbitohs in an off-field role.

For the latter incident, Burgess avoided conviction but was placed on a nine-month good behaviour bond.