Many Blues supporters were surprised when Matt Burton was left out of the NSW squad for game two, but the sting of missing out hasn’t affected the Bulldogs five-eighth, with his coach optimistic that his key playmaker will return to the club sooner rather than later.
Burton was the 18th man in the series opener, so he missed Canterbury’s trip to Newcastle, but he’ll be ready for their next trip north to face a Roosters side without a number of Origin stars, notably Connor Watson, who won the race for the bench utility slot.
It was odd to go from 18th man – a role he’s had multiple times – to completely out of the team, but coach Cameron Ciraldo said Burton’s absence had no effect on his training this week.
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“I had forgotten about it until you guys started asking me about it because he came back on Monday and he’s normal Burto,” he told you.
“He’s excited to play football and feels recharged after the bye. He is prepared to do his part for the squad.
“It is excellent for us. We’d like to see him in and around that arena, but we know that when he reaches or approaches his full ability, he’ll be there.
“We want players to play in that representative arena and be near it because it helps them become better players for us when the big games arrive.
“Burto had a little taste of it, and we know if Burto keeps working as hard as he is then he’ll be back there at some stage soon.”
It’s a difficult decision for Ciraldo since he’s excited to have one of his top players available this week while also wanting to see his players honored with representative jerseys.
However, he refuses to believe that Burton was treated unfairly.
“That is not for me to think about. “I’m glad he’s playing for us this week,” he added.
“He’s working very hard on his game. Over the previous year, he has matured and grown up significantly. He’s become a father and a valuable member of our group.
“We’re just really happy we have him.”
Burton is a major inclusion for Saturday’s game against the Roosters, while back-rower Viliame Kikau has “a chance” of returning from a finger injury after being added to an extended bench.
The Bulldogs won their first meeting with the Roosters in a wild wet contest, and they enter the round knowing they can move into the top four this week with a win and a Dolphins loss as they seek a finals berth for the first time since 2016, when they beat the Chooks twice in a season.
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“I was really interested to see how the boys came back Monday because there was a view that we did have some momentum and the bye could have stopped that,” says Ciraldo.
“But the way the guys returned to training, they seemed joyful, invigorated, and eager to be around each other again. Hopefully, we can maintain the momentum we had before the bye, but we must go out and earn it again.
“I believe the results of the last month indicate that we have taken those strides ahead, but I believe we have done so all year.
“We’ve been really consistent, played well in a lot of games, but we haven’t always gotten the results and have occasionally injured ourselves at the conclusion of games.
“But over the last six weeks, we’ve played some really terrific football and had some small victories that we’re starting to recognise. We’re seeing an increasing sense of belief in our team, club, and community as a whole.”
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