{"id":295881,"date":"2023-11-22T05:24:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-22T05:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/?p=295881"},"modified":"2023-11-22T05:24:00","modified_gmt":"2023-11-22T05:24:00","slug":"i-want-to-play-five-eighth-burton-eyes-blues-no-6-jersey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/rugby-league\/i-want-to-play-five-eighth-burton-eyes-blues-no-6-jersey\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I want to play five-eighth\u2019: Burton eyes Blues\u2019 No.6 jersey"},"content":{"rendered":"

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At a black-tie sportsman\u2019s dinner for St Gregory\u2019s College Campbelltown last Friday, Matt Burton was asked which was his preferred playing position.<\/p>\n

It was a timely question, given that it will be one of the hottest topics of the off-season.<\/p>\n

His unequivocal response served as a timely statement to coach Cameron Ciraldo, one of the 650 guests sitting in the audience: five-eighth.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I think he knows where I want to play and what my best position is,\u201d Burton said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a good night out there, obviously fundraising money for the school, good to get up and speak in front of everyone. He knows that I wanna play there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Burton, a Canterbury co-captain alongside Reed Mahoney, will play wherever the coach requires him. But to ensure there was no doubt about where his preference lies, the former Panther reiterated his wish to remain in the halves when speaking to Ciraldo on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Canterbury co-captain Matt Burton.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Janie Barrett<\/cite><\/p>\n

\u201cEven speaking to him yesterday, I just said to him that I wanna play five-eighth,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got a few things to work on in fixing my game. If I can do that, then I\u2019m heading in the right direction.\u201d<\/p>\n

So where does Burton provide the Bulldogs with the most bang for the buck?<\/p>\n

The case has been made for Burton to return to the centres, the position he won a premiership in with the Panthers. The 23-year-old has also represented NSW and Australia as a three-quarter.<\/p>\n

However, Burton doesn\u2019t buy into suggestions he is more likely to add to his representative tally by moving out of the halves.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot necessarily,\u201d he said. \u201cI think if I can knuckle down and play my best footy at six, then I think that there might be a chance to play rep footy at six.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve obviously played there at centre before. It\u2019s always a privilege to wear [representative] jerseys.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m striving to get back there, so it\u2019s all good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year there were stages in the game where I needed to stand up and I didn\u2019t really provide that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ciraldo\u2019s decision shapes as one critical to Canterbury\u2019s success. The coach has Toby Sexton, Drew Hutchison, Kurt Mann, Blake Taafe and Jaeman Salmon as halves options, while it\u2019s likely another play-making utility, Cronulla\u2019s Connor Tracey, could shift to Belmore. Weighing into Ciraldo\u2019s thinking is how best to utilise Burton\u2019s running and kicking game, as well as how to showcase the talents of the other players in his roster.<\/p>\n

By his own admission, Burton said he didn\u2019t deliver consistently enough last season.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year there were stages in the game where I needed to stand up, and I didn\u2019t really provide that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I think this year if I can work on those little areas, then it\u2019s gonna help the team in a way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Burton has an opinion on not only his position but who should also slot in alongside him in the halves.<\/p>\n

\u201cToby Sexton, at the moment, is showing really good signs. We played some good footy there at the back end of the year,\u201d Burton said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s training in the house down, we\u2019ve got a good combo there. He\u2019s killing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Burton feels he is at a point in his life when he added responsibility will be the making of him. As well as wanting to call the shots on the field as a playmaker and captain, he is enjoying it off the field as a father to four-month-old Noah.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as I come home from footy, it\u2019s into dad life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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