This time last year, teenager Matt Burton was running around in bush footy in Dubbo, started 2019 in under-20s and only made his NSW Cup debut a month-and-a-half ago.
He will have his first training run on Thursday with the Penrith NRL squad and some of his teammates admitted they didn’t know much about the 19-year-old.
Yet on Friday, he will make a remarkable and unlikely first-grade debut for the Panthers after being asked by coach Ivan Cleary to solve the club’s halves conundrum.
Burton began the year so far down the club’s depth chart, a NRL debut wasn’t on his radar.
He wasn’t even on the club’s development list and the Panthers had to seek an exemption from the NRL just for him to be cleared to take on Cronulla at Panthers Stadium. The high-stakes game will affect the top-eight hopes of both sides.
Burton’s rise to NRL playmaker came in Steven Bradbury-like circumstances after James Maloney on Tuesday night was suspended for tripping after failing at the judiciary and Jarome Luai was ruled out with an eye injury.
Tyrone May also remains unavailable after being sidelined under the “no fault” stand down rule.
So enter Burton, who starred for the NSW under-20s with two tries and man-of-the-match honours in their win last month over Queensland, to partner star Nathan Cleary in the halves.
Fellow Dubbo product and Panthers teammate Isaah Yeo said he had heard of Burton for several years and he had earned a reputation as an up-and-coming star.
“It’s a rapid rise but he’s been the standout coming through in Dubbo, he was always the one highlighted and they thought he’d go on and make something of himself,” Yeo said.
“When I was younger, he was always the one coming through. He was the same age as my cousin and I’ve been fortunate enough to watch him play a little bit of footy – he’s been a tall, rangy standout.”
His debut will be celebrated in Dubbo in NSW’s central west where, just over 12 months ago, he had been turning out for Dubbo CYMS in the Group 11 competition and playing on the wing in their grand final loss to Forbes.
“I don’t know too much about Burto,” Panthers fullback Dylan Edwards conceded.
“I’ve seen a few NSW Cup games and he’s training alongside us quite a few times. But he’s a big body, he’s got a good little kicking game on him and he defends well.
“We’ve trained against him and a lot of the Cup boys have played alongside him.
“Nathan will control the side and Burto will just play eyes-up and play what he sees. It won’t be a complex role for him.”