The HIA fine print that had Burton in line for last-minute Origin cameo

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Matt Burton believes he is “twice the player” he was during his last Origin outing, though he wasn’t aware of how close he came to taking the field in game one of this year’s series as Blues staff considered leveraging a little-known element of the 18th man concussion rules.

Burton can push his cause for a Blues call-up opposing lead No.7 contender Mitchell Moses in Monday’s Bulldogs-Eels clash as Brad Fittler canvasses all options for game two.

Burton’s ability to play in the halves, centre and back row at a pinch keep him in the frame as a utility option, though Origin I bench debutant Nicho Hynes is expected to be retained if he misses out on the starting side.

The Canterbury star made a mad dash to Adelaide as 18th man when Latrell Mitchell went down injured three days before the match, prompting Stephen Crichton’s own Origin recall.

Tom Trbojevic’s game-ending head knock from a Tom Flegler high shot had Fittler considering introducing Burton at centre instead of Hynes, per the fine print of the NRL’s updated HIA rules this year.

NRL football boss Graham Annesley confirmed NSW would have been able to use Burton because Trobjevic had been ineligible to return to the field. Annesley pointed to the game’s operations manual, which states that the 18th player’s activation is possible when “the relevant injury was caused by the foul play of an opposition player and the opposition player was sin-binned or dismissed from the field as a result of the foul play.”

Fittler also told this masthead that throwing Burton into the fray “was spoken about” by NSW staff while Flegler was being sent to the bin, but that Hynes was eventually preferred.

The Sharks star was found wanting in defence out wide by Cameron Munster in the lead-up to a critical try, though several Blues players struggled late in the contest as Queensland stormed home.

“I was always ready and preparing in my head,” Burton said of his whirlwind Origin I experience. “Right up until the last minute. You have to be ready for anything to happen. You never know what’s going to happen in a game.

“It was a crazy week and a disappointing loss. Of course I’m striving to be in that side for game two. Hopefully they’ll see something in me this Monday and I’ll be getting that call.”

Bulldogs star Matt Burton is itching to get back into the Origin arena.Credit: Getty

The potential for an 18th man to play – either through foul play or two teammates being ruled out by failed HIAs – adds another layer of selection intrigue to the role.

With most any illegal contact to the head resulting in a sin bin these days, the 18th man does stand a better chance of seeing game time under the new rules and arguably lends itself to a utility player such as Burton being selected with that in mind.

The Bulldogs half played the last two games of the 2022 Origin series and earned a World Cup call-up for his country afterwards, and said the pain of last year’s series decider is still driving his bid for a Blues return.

“That disappointment from last year, it does burn and it does push you. I’m better for it,” Burton said. “You’ve got that fire to get back out there and get back into it.

“Mentally and physically, I think I’ve grown as a person and I’m twice the player. I think I’m growing as a player every week.

“Especially playing different positions as I go. I’m at halfback and that adds a string to your bow and that utility type of role. I’m learning about more about footy every day.”

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