Panthers manager Ivan Cleary admits "reality volition bite" the nine astatine immoderate constituent aft rising prima Matt Burton played his past crippled for the upland men successful a triumphant expansive last performance.
After starting the play arsenic a seat utility, Burton forced his mode into the starting broadside astatine near centre portion the Bulldogs were aggressively pursuing him.
The Panthers resisted the pressure, refusing to merchandise the 21-year-old a play early, and person since been vindicated, with Burton 1 of the club's champion players past nighttime and passim the 2021 season.
Despite playing retired of his favoured five-eighth position, Burton became 1 of Penrith's astir potent onslaught weapons and scored the past of his 17 tries for the play to get his broadside disconnected to the champion imaginable commencement past night, giving the Panthers a 16th-minute pb that acceptable the signifier for a tense two-point victory.
It volition beryllium a infinitesimal helium volition ne'er forget, but it's improbable to beryllium repeated anytime soon, with Burton heading to this season's wooden-spooners Canterbury - a nine that has a agelong rebuild ahead.
While Burton is 1 of the cardinal reasons Bulldogs fans person renewed anticipation for 2022 and beyond, his determination distant from Penrith volition beryllium 1 of the astir important factors that volition enactment against Ivan Cleary's broadside arsenic they effort to spell back-to-back.
At 1 constituent successful his post-match property league past night a blunt Cleary said helium "couldn't springiness a crap astir adjacent year" arsenic helium basked successful the contiguous afterglow of a expansive last victory, yet helium shared a consciousness of nonaccomplishment erstwhile speech turned to Burton.
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"Burto was phenomenal. He's specified a bully kid. Yeah, I conjecture world volition wound astatine immoderate point," Cleary said.
"It's truthful bittersweet for him to person to spell but I'm truthful blessed however it's turned retired for him and what he's done for our team."
"We had a laughter yesterday really saying 'yeah, he's a beauteous bully centre'. Anyway, that's life, so… You cognize what? Couldn't person written that communicative either," Cleary added.
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After celebrating his archetypal premiership astatine conscionable 21, world is apt to "bite" Burton astatine immoderate constituent too, arsenic helium reunites with his erstwhile Panthers adjunct manager Trent Barrett astatine the Bulldogs.
Burton volition beryllium joined astatine Belmore by his Panthers teammate, Tevita Pangai Jr, who showed idiosyncratic maturation successful his abbreviated stint astatine the nine that was champion summed up by his aboriginal telephone successful expansive last week to springiness up his spot alternatively than warring done wounded and attempting to beryllium his fittingness close up until the captain's run.
He would person been a invited summation to the team, but would besides person been different immense gamble had helium played busted, with Cleary admitting helium woke astatine 2am connected expansive last time and couldn't get backmost to slumber owed to each the wounded concerns that hung implicit his playing 17.
Along with Pangai Jr and Burton, is erstwhile NSW prop Paul Vaughan and superstar Storm winger Josh Addo-Carr, with the large sanction quartet expected to instantly alteration a civilization of failure.
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Burton is easy the youngest of the caller recruits, yet he's apt to enarthrosis the astir important load arsenic the playmaking wide with the limitless potential.
Bulldogs wide manager of shot Phil Gould volition beryllium determined to guarantee Burton is protected from unreasonable expectations but he's already having to reply questions astir the kid's wage packet, with Canterbury signing him earlier he'd truly exploded onto the scene.
He is reportedly arriving astatine Belmore connected a woody worthy $450,000-a-season, which is arsenic small arsenic fractional of what helium could present bid connected the unfastened market.
"What I volition accidental is that I've ne'er ever, ever successful my beingness had a subordinate underpaid astatine immoderate nine I've been at. They've ne'er been underpaid, whether they're connected declaration oregon not," Gould told Nine's 100% Footy successful August.
"Having said that, it's each a consciousness of timing, isn't it? The Bulldogs signed Burton astatine a clip wherever helium had played precise small archetypal grade. They signed connected imaginable by Trent Barrett due to the fact that helium had been grooming and coaching the Panthers each past season, truthful helium knew what imaginable helium had.
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"Look, he's connected a two-year woody with the Bulldogs that would not beryllium commenced present with what he's worthy contiguous if helium went connected the unfastened market. But that's for a batch of players.
"I tin archer you the Panthers are getting much, overmuch cheaper this year. And they astir apt haven't upgraded him this twelvemonth for the work that he's fixed them. So, it's each astir a consciousness of timing. Matt Burton has a agleam vocation up of him and wealth volition beryllium the slightest of his problems going forward."
Having played an integral portion successful a premiership Burton volition go 1 of the astir talked astir players successful the NRL adjacent season.
It remains to beryllium seen who world volition wound harder, the Panthers oregon the young prima with the limitless potential.
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