Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo has expressed frustration over Matt Burton‘s absence in round 13 due to his role as NSW’s 18th player for the State of Origin series opener.
This marks the third time in four Origin games that Burton has been assigned the replacement role. He will join the squad for preparations but will only play if multiple concussions occur or if a foul play results in a sin bin. Since the rule’s introduction, neither team has utilized their 18th player in the last nine Origin games.
Burton’s versatility in covering the halves and outside backs makes him a prime candidate for the emergency role. However, this selection puts the Bulldogs in a challenging position, as they will be without their key five-eighth for Friday’s match against Newcastle and unlikely to benefit from the experience an Origin cap provides.
Currently sitting 10th on the ladder, Canterbury aims to capitalize on the Origin period to secure their first top-eight finish since 2016. Meanwhile, the Knights, unaffected by Origin selections, are slight favorites for the upcoming game.
In an ideal scenario, the Bulldogs would prefer Burton to play with the club on Friday and then return to Origin camp for his 18th-man duties next Wednesday at Accor Stadium in Sydney.
“We want guys playing Origin,” Ciraldo said. “The type of club we’re trying to build, we want to get as many people with Origin experience as we can. But frustrated is probably the right word. Burto’s been 18th man three times in the last 12 months. We know he’s going to be a better player for being around those places, but we just wish he would be able to play and then go and be 18th man.”
Ciraldo faces a similar dilemma if Michael Maguire selects Burton as the 18th player again this series, especially with the Bulldogs scheduled to play the Sydney Roosters before game two. Additionally, the Blues seem likely to include Luke Keary in the game-day 17 instead of Burton if Nicho Hynes’s calf injury persists.
This time, Ciraldo won’t seek special consideration from the NRL to have Burton available for the Knights game. “We’re just worried about getting 17 players to go up to Newcastle,” he said.
Ciraldo was also surprised by Maguire’s decision to replace Bulldogs winger Josh Addo-Carr with Zac Lomax. Addo-Carr, who played all three games in last year’s series and is NSW’s joint top try-scorer with 11 tries in 15 appearances, has been in good form lately. “Josh is certainly an Origin player,” Ciraldo said. “Josh has been in really good form lately, we like what he’s doing for our team. That’s what he’s focused on.”
