NRL news: Laurie Daley backs Matt Burton to spark Bulldogs
Laurie Daley has no doubt Matt Burton can be a star playmaker – but his doubts lay elsewhere at the rebuilding Bulldogs.
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Former champion five-eighth Laurie Daley believes Matt Burton can help spark a Bulldogs revival if given a licence to roam free.
Burton will be used as a running five-eighth next year alongside either Jake Averillo or Kyle Flanagan at halfback, and Daley said that would make the high-profile Bulldogs recruit a dangerous proposition.
“I love the fact that Matt’s a running five-eighth,’’ Daley said. “I think he is such a dynamic player, very strong and he has a good feel for the game. Matt makes things happen.”
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The same was true of Daley, who was the perfect foil for the scheming Ricky Stuart during their premiership-winning days at the Canberra Raiders.
“Matt has come through as a six,’’ Daley said. “He was effective at centre but you need him playing as a five-eighth and to try and give him the ball in the best possible positions to use his skill and speed.
“If the people around him can do their job, that’s important, because it will allow him to thrive.
“It will be different for him to start at a new club but I’m not sure it will be a different system given ‘Baz’ (Trent Barrett) had him at Penrith.
“There could be other players around him who don’t do it as well as they did in that Penrith system. That will be a challenge for him.
“But, overall, when he settles in and feels comfortable in that environment, he will make an instant impact.”
Burton trained in Bulldogs colours for the first time on Wednesday. He met new teammates at Belmore and worked out at the club’s Centre of Excellence.
“It was great to see Matt here for the first time,” Bulldogs chairman John Khoury said.
“He looks relaxed and refreshed and will be a great addition to our squad.
“Everyone knows what a talent he is but he’s also a very humble individual and someone who will put the hard work in. We are all excited about what lies ahead.”
A lot is expected of Burton, who will only turn 22 the day after his first NRL game for the Bulldogs in March. However, his agent David Riolo isn’t worried that there may be too much pressure on his young shoulders.
Asked about the pressure Burton will be under to deliver at his new club, Riolo said: “Do I think he will thrive on it? Yes, he will, because he’s a very good player and he has a great temperament.
“The weight of expectation ... he will be more worried about his own expectation, working with club and coach, more so than any outside noise.
“I don’t think he’s looking at going there saying: ‘I’ve got to come and save this club’ because they came last and there is expectation. That’s not an issue.
“He will go there and do his best and his best is pretty good. Hopefully that’s a self-fulfilling prophecy in that if he plays his best, they will improve.
“Matt’s grown up playing in the halves so he’s happy to take that pressure and more likely than not he will be doing all the kicking and be a game manager as well.
“This year at Penrith he was a ball runner. That will be a different expectation for him.
“I don’t think the kid will care what number you put on his back.”
Two more high-profile Canterbury recruits are about to join Burton at pre-season training.
Speedy former Melbourne Storm winger Josh Addo-Carr is expected at Belmore on Thursday, while Tevita Pangai Jr will start late next week.
Fellow Canterbury newcomers Matt Dufty, Brent Naden and Paul Vaughan have already started training with the club.
The Bulldogs are the $1.80 favourites to win their first match of the NRL season against the North Queensland Cowboys, who are paying $2.
This year’s wooden-spooners are also $23 to claim the title.
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