The new look Cronulla Sharks are apparently seeking to lure another young player into the Shire, with Rabbitohs favourite Braidon Burns in their sights.
With new head coach Craig Fitzgibbons set to begin his tenure in 2022, the side he'll be leading out into Shark Park is beginning to take shape.
Recent signings by the Sharks of Dale Finucane, Nicho Hynes and Cameron McInnes and the re-signing of key players such as William Kennedy and Matt Moylan bode well for a team that less then a few months ago seemed to be in disarray.
While the waters seem to be getting clearer in the Sutherland, they're still in need of a few outside backs as the club is either yet to sign or are expected to lose most of the players currently contributing at these positions.
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Burns, 25, who's been with the South Sydney Rabbitohs since 2017, is off-contract at the end of year and according to Dean Ritchie of The Daily Telegraph has been targeted by the Sharks.
The Souths youngster has had his career stalled over the past few years and disrupted by several significant injuries, however, with a clean bill of health "Braidon is now injury-free and is really starting to hit his straps", according to Burns' manager Allan Gainey.
"Braidonโs first preference would be to stay but he really has to look at where the best opportunity is for him to play regular first grade,โ Gainey said. โBecause he is a genuine, week-in, week-out, first grader.
โThere was a genuine interest in a centre (at Cronulla) and his name was mentioned. I will follow that up. I donโt know how Cronullaโs dollars are right now because they have spent a bit in the last week. We will follow it through if required. Braidon lives in Cronulla.
โHe has been a bit starved of footy but that is only natural given the team Souths have at the moment.
โIt was always on the basis that we would talk more seriously when we knew what Gagai was doing because I think Braidonโs best position is centre. There isnโt any urgency but it is one that needs to be put away."
With Souths incoming head coach, Jason Demetriou, and chief executive, Blake Solly, apparently fans of Burns, expect the Bunnies to do everything they can to strike a deal.
โBraidon has been with us for five seasons now and has impressed everyone at the club with his character, humility and tenacity to recover from a number of serious injuries,โ Solly said.
โIt has been great to see him getting regular NRL football over the last few weeks and we will get an opportunity to discuss his future with Al (Gainey) in the coming weeksโ.
Contributing heavily in last weeks big win over the New Zealand Warriors in limited minutes, look for Burns to have plenty of suitors this off-season if Gainey and the Rabbits can't get one done.
