New South Wales hopeful Matt Burton has declared to Michael Maguire that he is willing to play anywhere as the Blues coach mulls over his team selection for Game I. Burton starred on Thursday night in the perfect Origin audition, scoring two tries in Canterbury’s 44-12 rout of St George Illawarra.
Burton is seen as a solid choice for the Blues at either centre or five-eighth, which happens to be the two positional areas where the Blues’ depth is thinnest ahead of the series opener in Sydney on June 5. Nicho Hynes appears locked in for the halfback spot, given his superb start to the season with the ladder
The five-eighth position isn’t quite as obvious, though. Game managers Nathan Cleary, Mitch Moses, and Adam Reynolds are all out with injuries, so Burton is up against Souths veteran Cody Walker and Penrith prodigy Jarome Luai for the No. 6 shirt. However, Walker might be forced to withdraw due to a calf strain.
Up until last year’s Game III, Luai was the starting five-eighth for three straight Origin series before Walker took his place. Furthermore, Maguire might decide to ignore Cleary because the man is out with a hamstring ailment, which is his companion in the club halves.
While Burton still has a shot to make the Blues roster at center. Burton, a center, was named to the Dally M Team of the Year after Penrith’s 2021 premiership. The injuries to Campbell Graham, Tom Trbojevic, Kotoni Staggs, and Bradman Best further improve his prospects. To try to minimize the damage from injuries sustained in the middle of the game, a third choice would be to deploy Burton as a bench utility.
And following yet another outstanding performance in which his ball-playing and kicking skills were particularly evident, Burton declares that he is prepared to play wherever Maguire wants him. “All I’ve been thinking about is giving it my all here, for the boys. But I’ll be thrilled if (Origin) comes to pass,” Burton remarked.
“In the last years, I’ve gained a great deal of experience (at the center). I do it almost instinctively. Really, I’d be thrilled to perform wherever,” he remarked. “That adaptability is undoubtedly helpful. I’m praying that call comes through. We’ll watch and see.”
The 24-year-old says he feels more prepared than ever for Origin and thinks that, should he be chosen, he can have an impact. “I think I’m a more mature person now, and obviously, having that experience in the past helps. “I think I’m all set,” he declared. “Just my effort areas around the ball, my supports and little things like that (are what have improved this year).”
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