‘Fingers crossed’: Matt Burton hoping to force his way into NSW 17 after bomb barrage for Bulldogs
If Blues selectors need one reason to pick Matt Burton for game two, his barrage of bombs for the Bulldogs would have Maroons players running scared.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
He spent game one riding the ups and downs on the sidelines for the Blues, but Matt Burton is ready to get his crack at left centre for the must-win clash in Melbourne as fans at Accor Stadium still wait for some of his trademark bombs to land after a sensational kicking performance against the Eels.
Burton was 18th man for NSW in game one but has rocketed into contention for a promotion, with left centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii sent off and suspended on debut for a vicious high shot on Reece Walsh.
Latrell Mitchell is also in the mix to win back his spot on the back of some dominant performances for South Sydney, meaning Burton could shift to the bench given the Blues desperately missed an outside back who could have come on after Suaalii was marched from the field.
Burton played two games for the Blues in 2022 and would love another opportunity to represent his state.
“Fingers crossed (I get picked in the 17) but I’ve just got to put my head down here and work hard,” he said.
“If anything happens then it’s off the back of what we’re doing here. I’ll always have my hand up and be ready for anything that happens.
“I’d be happy to go out there (centre) if I got the call, but it’s not up to me. I’ll keep chipping away and see what happens.”
Burton has strong connections with Jarome Luai and Brian To’o on the NSW left edge on the back of their time together at Penrith, while his development in the halves means he’s versatile enough to provide cover off the bench.
The calls are growing louder for him to be selected, with whispers before game one that he would be elevated onto the bench proving to be nothing more than rumours.
“I was always 18th man, but I was preparing like I was playing. If anything did happen then I was ready to go,” he said.
“It is different to playing every week and starting, but you’ve got to prepare like you’re playing.
“It’s more of a mental game than sitting on the sideline and watching. You ride the ups and downs and you feel like you’re out there. I love being a part of the group because we’re definitely building something special.”
The Bulldogs have the bye this weekend, so Burton won’t have the chance for one final Origin audition, but that might not matter after he helped conjure a stunning Canterbury comeback on the King’s Birthday holiday.
Burton nailed a 40/20 and dominated his kicking duel with Mitch Moses, with the five-eighth putting in a bomb for the ages that he joked “might need a ball-tracker”.
It wasn’t quite as nasty as his high kick in Perth on Origin debut, but it proved too difficult to handle for Eels fullback Clint Gutherson, who missed it completely, as Blake Wilson scored just before halftime, only to be penalised for being off-side.
“He (Gutherson) came up to me smiling after the try got disallowed, but he swallowed the first two, so he did well,” Burton said.
“When it came off the boot, it felt pretty nice. It was just unlucky with ‘Wilso’ being off-side, but I thought I’d pull it back out.
“I usually put them in the corner, but if I’ve got time and I feel it’s the right time, I just try to unload.”
Originally published as ‘Fingers crossed’: Matt Burton hoping to force his way into NSW 17 after bomb barrage for Bulldogs
‘Exciting’: Ex-NRL player impresses in ring
Alex Leapai Jr, a promising NRL front-rower before making the switch to boxing, has impressed with a dominant knockout.
Parramatta moves to erase Moses contract clauses
Parramatta are set to work with Mitchell Moses to erase certain clauses from his contract, a move which could see the star halfback play out the remainder of his glittering career at the Eels.