The mystery rich-lister on stand-by to fly Matt Burton in for Origin duty
Matt Burton has been NSW 18th man twice as many times as he's taken the field for his state, but there's no questioning his commitment to the unwanted role.
Not when the Bulldogs star was around for boots, mouthguard and a private plane owned by a 'good mate' worth a lazy $800 million just in case the Blues needed him for emergency duties once again.
Burton's bye week leading into Origin I was interrupted by clubmate Stephen Crichton's game one injury scare, when the Canterbury skipper was in doubt right up until game day.
Burton, who has taken the field twice for NSW since 2022 and been 18th man five times, was in his home town of Dubbo when the call came from Blues management.
If Crichton wasn't fit, South Sydney's Campbell Graham would be called in to debut. And if he could get to Brisbane, Burton would be 18th man with the chance to play if any further late dramas struck or a HIA was caused by foul play.
So he called Wes Maas – the Dubbo-raised one-time Rabbitoh, founder and majority owner of the Maas Group.
After two games with Souths in 2002, Maas took a $14,000 bank loan, a bobcat and a tip truck and started a $1.5 billion construction materials and equipment company – which has since seen the 45-year-old's estimated worth pegged at $814 million last year.
'There wasn't going to be a flight straight from Dubbo to Brisbane, they'd been booked up, and obviously you want to give Critta as much time as possible to be right,' Burton said after joining NSW camp, again as 18th man, for game two in Perth.
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The Australian
an hour ago
- The Australian
Goulburn, Muswellbrook best bets, inside mail for Friday, June 13, 2025
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NEXT BEST Race 8 No. 10: TANGLEWOOD JIMMY Could run over the top of these late. Has talent. VALUE Race 1 No. 7: GHAZNAVI Winless after 15 starts. deserves one more chance here. INSIDE MAIL - GOULBURN RACE 5: KIRK'S BRIDGE FARM BENCHMARK 58 HANDICAP 1500m DOWNTOWN'S ABBEY (5) has raced here at home three times for a win and a second. That win came at her last start back on April 28 and it was also over this trip. Got a tres bien by Pierre Boudvillain from gate 1 that day. Hopefully barrier 10 of 10 isn't overly detrimental here. In-form MIDNIGHT LUNA (2) may well be saved for this weekend's Highway. The best form of the Pat Murphy-trained local GOOFINATOR (6) is good enough to get onto the podium somewhere. Bet: Downtown's Abbey to win RACE 6: HOMEBASE REAL ESTATE MAIDEN PLATE 1500m LIMBURG (2) was sold for $1 million at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale in 2022. Fast forward to May 2024 and the son of Justify (and half to Loving Gaby) was snapped up for $11,000. 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The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Luai answers Blues' SOS call for State of Origin II
History has repeated itself with NSW forced to call upon a player they had initially dumped as the Blues hunt a series victory in Perth. Jarome Luai answered coach Laurie Daley's SOS call on Thursday after Moses was rubbed out of game 2 because of a calf strain suffered in camp. The Wests Tigers co-captain, who had been overlooked for Moses in the game one win, was contacted by Daley and team performance manager Frank Ponissi. Five-eighth for last year's series win, Luai heeded the call and will reunite with former Penrith teammate Nathan Cleary in the halves for his 11th Origin cap. "I've done the work, I've been here before. I know what it takes," Luai said on arrival at the team hotel in Leura on Thursday night. "We've got a good squad so I just need to do my job and give the other boys confidence as well." It marks the second time in as many series NSW have been forced to lean on a key player they initially rejected, having called fullback James Tedesco in at similarly late notice for last year's series opener. Tedesco was dropped from the team once Dylan Edwards recovered from injury for Origin II last year. But Luai said he was not yet considering his selection prospects should Moses be fit in time for Origin III. "I'm not worried about what's next. I'm worried about the present moment," he said. "I'm really excited and I'm grateful for the opportunity. I know there were a few options they could've went with but I'll make sure I repay that faith." The NRL has already granted the Blues an exemption to bring Luai into the team from outside the 20-man squad Daley had named on Tuesday. Daley defended the Blues' call to pick Luai ahead of Canterbury five-eighth Matt Burton, who was already in camp as replacement player. The coach said the chance to reignite Luai and Cleary's combination, which won four premierships at the Panthers, was too good to refuse. "Back playing together, there'd be an energy and a synergy there," Daley said. "(Luai) played there last year, has got a good combination with Nathan and he's that left-side player. "He'll do a fine job." Burton's ability to cover the outside backs and halves has made him a favoured choice for NSW's replacement role, which he is filling for the fifth time in eight Origin games. "(Burton) would be disappointed, you'd want him to be disappointed, but he gives us a bit more versatility in that 18th-man role," Daley said. "He can play a few more positions. I just think Jarome and Nathan's combination, they've had so much success." Queensland are wary of the dangers posed by the Cleary-Luai combination, first forged a decade ago in Penrith's junior system. "They've played all their footy together at the Panthers. When it comes to Origin football they'll be a dangerous threat," said winger Xavier Coates. Daley was impressed by Luai's attitude after he was overlooked for game one and felt he would respond to the pressures of a last-minute call-up with similar positivity. "Luai handled it (the initial rejection) with such class and he said if I needed him, he'd be ready to go," Daley said. "So when I rang him, he said, 'Sweet, I'm ready to go'. That filled me with confidence. "I don't think anything fazes Jarome. He's always up for a challenge and the bigger the challenge, the better he goes." History has repeated itself with NSW forced to call upon a player they had initially dumped as the Blues hunt a series victory in Perth. Jarome Luai answered coach Laurie Daley's SOS call on Thursday after Moses was rubbed out of game 2 because of a calf strain suffered in camp. The Wests Tigers co-captain, who had been overlooked for Moses in the game one win, was contacted by Daley and team performance manager Frank Ponissi. Five-eighth for last year's series win, Luai heeded the call and will reunite with former Penrith teammate Nathan Cleary in the halves for his 11th Origin cap. "I've done the work, I've been here before. I know what it takes," Luai said on arrival at the team hotel in Leura on Thursday night. "We've got a good squad so I just need to do my job and give the other boys confidence as well." It marks the second time in as many series NSW have been forced to lean on a key player they initially rejected, having called fullback James Tedesco in at similarly late notice for last year's series opener. Tedesco was dropped from the team once Dylan Edwards recovered from injury for Origin II last year. But Luai said he was not yet considering his selection prospects should Moses be fit in time for Origin III. "I'm not worried about what's next. I'm worried about the present moment," he said. "I'm really excited and I'm grateful for the opportunity. I know there were a few options they could've went with but I'll make sure I repay that faith." The NRL has already granted the Blues an exemption to bring Luai into the team from outside the 20-man squad Daley had named on Tuesday. Daley defended the Blues' call to pick Luai ahead of Canterbury five-eighth Matt Burton, who was already in camp as replacement player. The coach said the chance to reignite Luai and Cleary's combination, which won four premierships at the Panthers, was too good to refuse. "Back playing together, there'd be an energy and a synergy there," Daley said. "(Luai) played there last year, has got a good combination with Nathan and he's that left-side player. "He'll do a fine job." Burton's ability to cover the outside backs and halves has made him a favoured choice for NSW's replacement role, which he is filling for the fifth time in eight Origin games. "(Burton) would be disappointed, you'd want him to be disappointed, but he gives us a bit more versatility in that 18th-man role," Daley said. "He can play a few more positions. I just think Jarome and Nathan's combination, they've had so much success." Queensland are wary of the dangers posed by the Cleary-Luai combination, first forged a decade ago in Penrith's junior system. "They've played all their footy together at the Panthers. When it comes to Origin football they'll be a dangerous threat," said winger Xavier Coates. Daley was impressed by Luai's attitude after he was overlooked for game one and felt he would respond to the pressures of a last-minute call-up with similar positivity. "Luai handled it (the initial rejection) with such class and he said if I needed him, he'd be ready to go," Daley said. "So when I rang him, he said, 'Sweet, I'm ready to go'. That filled me with confidence. "I don't think anything fazes Jarome. He's always up for a challenge and the bigger the challenge, the better he goes." History has repeated itself with NSW forced to call upon a player they had initially dumped as the Blues hunt a series victory in Perth. Jarome Luai answered coach Laurie Daley's SOS call on Thursday after Moses was rubbed out of game 2 because of a calf strain suffered in camp. The Wests Tigers co-captain, who had been overlooked for Moses in the game one win, was contacted by Daley and team performance manager Frank Ponissi. Five-eighth for last year's series win, Luai heeded the call and will reunite with former Penrith teammate Nathan Cleary in the halves for his 11th Origin cap. "I've done the work, I've been here before. I know what it takes," Luai said on arrival at the team hotel in Leura on Thursday night. "We've got a good squad so I just need to do my job and give the other boys confidence as well." It marks the second time in as many series NSW have been forced to lean on a key player they initially rejected, having called fullback James Tedesco in at similarly late notice for last year's series opener. Tedesco was dropped from the team once Dylan Edwards recovered from injury for Origin II last year. But Luai said he was not yet considering his selection prospects should Moses be fit in time for Origin III. "I'm not worried about what's next. I'm worried about the present moment," he said. "I'm really excited and I'm grateful for the opportunity. I know there were a few options they could've went with but I'll make sure I repay that faith." The NRL has already granted the Blues an exemption to bring Luai into the team from outside the 20-man squad Daley had named on Tuesday. Daley defended the Blues' call to pick Luai ahead of Canterbury five-eighth Matt Burton, who was already in camp as replacement player. The coach said the chance to reignite Luai and Cleary's combination, which won four premierships at the Panthers, was too good to refuse. "Back playing together, there'd be an energy and a synergy there," Daley said. "(Luai) played there last year, has got a good combination with Nathan and he's that left-side player. "He'll do a fine job." Burton's ability to cover the outside backs and halves has made him a favoured choice for NSW's replacement role, which he is filling for the fifth time in eight Origin games. "(Burton) would be disappointed, you'd want him to be disappointed, but he gives us a bit more versatility in that 18th-man role," Daley said. "He can play a few more positions. I just think Jarome and Nathan's combination, they've had so much success." Queensland are wary of the dangers posed by the Cleary-Luai combination, first forged a decade ago in Penrith's junior system. "They've played all their footy together at the Panthers. When it comes to Origin football they'll be a dangerous threat," said winger Xavier Coates. Daley was impressed by Luai's attitude after he was overlooked for game one and felt he would respond to the pressures of a last-minute call-up with similar positivity. "Luai handled it (the initial rejection) with such class and he said if I needed him, he'd be ready to go," Daley said. "So when I rang him, he said, 'Sweet, I'm ready to go'. That filled me with confidence. "I don't think anything fazes Jarome. He's always up for a challenge and the bigger the challenge, the better he goes."
Sydney Morning Herald
5 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Trbojevic knocked back NSW 18th man job to play for Manly. He shouldn't have to choose
Of the 20 teams that have taken the field since the 18th man was introduced into State of Origin back in 2022, only one of those has been in a position to activate the concussion substitute. That came in game one of the 2024 series, when Felise Kaufusi was activated after eight minutes following a head-high tackle from Joseph Suaalii on Reece Walsh which resulted in the NSW debutant being sent off and the Queensland fullback ruled out of the game through concussion. Bulldogs five-eighth Matt Burton will next week be NSW's 18th man for the fifth time in the 11 games since the concussion substitute was introduced. However, the rules stipulate that he is ineligible to play for the Bulldogs against South Sydney this Sunday – the third time will have missed a Bulldogs game for a five per cent chance of being activated by the Blues. NSW sources with knowledge of team selection for game one said Trbojevic was initially selected as the NSW Blues' 18th man for the opening game of the series. Trbojevic, however, declined the invitation because it meant he was made to choose between his state and club. Trbojevic has long been burdened by a guilt that his body has prohibited him from providing Manly value for the money they pay him. It's why he volunteered to take a $750,000 pay cut last year before the NRL intervened and rejected his request due to salary cap reasons. With his team struggling for form and licking their wounds after a round 10 loss to Cronulla, Trbojevic – having already missed four of his side's first 10 games of the year, told the Blues he felt obliged to play for Manly the following week rather than join the Blues in camp for 10 days with no guarantee of playing. The Blues duly called Campbell Graham into the squad as the 18th man, but it should have never come to that. The rules allow the 19th and 20th players in Origin squads to be released from the respective NSW and Queensland camps to rejoin their clubs this weekend. So Keaon Koloamatangi, NSW's 19th player, will go back to South Sydney to try to help them knock off the Burton-less Bulldogs. How is that that fair? Burton is 18th man on game day, not the next in line. When Blues five-eighth Mitch Moses went down on Thursday, NSW called Jarome Luai in to take his place instead of the 18th man who plays the very same position. When Brian To'o pulled up sore, they didn't reshuffle their backline to accommodate Burton – they brought in Jacob Kiraz. The NRL will argue that they are concerned about player workloads. That they don't want Matt Burton having to play on Sunday and then potentially (albeit only a 5 per cent chance) back up three days later for the Blues. But it's OK for the NRL to send five Penrith players on an economy-class, seven-hour red-eye flight from Perth to Auckland to try and salvage their season against the Warriors three days after Origin? No wonder Penrith coach Ivan Cleary is likely to rest them. There's an obvious solution, at least to the 18th man debacle and not the scheduling farce facing the reigning champions. The 18th man shouldn't be selected until the Sunday night before an Origin. Allow the states to pick extended squads as they do now, but send players 18, 19 and 20 back to their clubs. And at the end of the round, having determined everyone's fitness, then decide who Mr 5 per cent should be. Burton misses this weekend's game for the Bulldogs. Next week, they have the bye and he has another week off. By the time he plays again, he wouldn't have played a game of footy for three weeks. In what world is that good for NSW or the Bulldogs?
