Five seconds usually passes quickly.
But when you’re a rugby league fullback – even one with hands as safe as Dylan Edwards’ – five seconds must seem like an eternity waiting for a Matt Burton torpedo bomb to descend from its peak altitude of 30-plus metres, with the likes of Viliame Kikau and Stephen Crichton haring through in hot pursuit.
No current player in the NRL, or perhaps in rugby league history, has managed to consistently launch the Steeden as high as the Canterbury five-eighth, whose left boot at times resembles a howitzer.
As revealed by this masthead last year, University of NSW scientists established that one Burton kick against Parramatta at Accor Stadium travelled 33.68m in the air and spent 5.212 seconds defying gravity.
The usually reliable Clint Gutherson was unable to even get a hand on it, and it bounced opportunely for winger Blake Wilson to score in the corner.
At some point on Thursday night at Commbank Stadium, when Penrith clash with Burton’s table-topping Bulldogs, Edwards can expect to find himself in Gutherson’s shoes. And even after 160 NRL games, four grand final triumphs, four State of Origins and six Test matches, the 29-year-old’s heart is likely to skip a beat.
“Yeah, he puts them up well, and sometimes they’re really tricky to handle,” Edwards said.
“I think that comes along with their kick-chase and how they compete for the footy as well.
“But he’s got one of the biggest boots in the game, one of the biggest boots I’ve ever seen. So they’re obviously not ideal if he gets them right, and we’ll be trying to prevent him from doing that.”
Edwards at least has a fair idea what to expect. He has not only played against Burton four times, but the pair were teammates for three seasons at Penrith, before the latter joined Canterbury in 2022.
Dylan Edwards boasts arguably the safest pair of hands in the NRL.Credit: Getty Images
It’s not just the height Burton gains when he kicks that terrorises would-be catchers, but also the arc of the ball as it spirals back to earth.
“They tip over and they sort of go different ways depending on which way the ball’s spinning,” Edwards said.
“And if they don’t tip over, they float away from you. It’s just a different way he hits them.”
And while he catches most high kicks on autopilot, Edwards admits the threat of Burton’s missiles can get inside a fullback’s head.
“With Burto’s bombs, you probably get time to think,” he said.
“But yeah, a lot of it’s just reaction and then just trusting the training that you’ve done. You’ve caught a lot of balls and you’ve done a lot of work on your catching.”
Burton is one of three ex-Panthers – alongside Kikau and Crichton – who will be hunting the prized scalp of the four-time champions in what shapes as one of the games of the NRL season.
Under former Penrith assistant coach Cameron Ciraldo, Canterbury have led the competition from the get-go this year and will take a power of stopping in the race for the minor premiership.
When Matt Burton launches a torpedo bomb, they sometimes come down with snow on them.Credit: Getty Images
The Panthers have recovered from an inexplicable five-game losing streak to win their past three games, clawing their way back into the top eight.
“They’re all wonderful players, so you understand there’s a real challenge ahead,” Panthers skipper Isaah Yeo said of playing against his former teammates.
“For 80 minutes they aren’t friends, but I’m really looking forward to it, more just for the battle.
“They’re the top seed and they’re the team to beat at the moment, so I’m looking forward to that.”
Old teammates: Isaah Yeo and Matt Burton after Penrith’s 2021 grand final win.Credit: NRL Photos
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary was delighted with his team’s win against the Warriors in Auckland last week, especially in the absence of his five-man Origin contingent: Yeo, Edwards, Nathan Cleary, Liam Martin and Brian To’o.
A win against Canterbury could be Penrith’s launchpad towards the finals, with a bye and winnable games against Parramatta, South Sydney, Wests Tigers, Gold Coast and Newcastle following in quick succession, offering a chance to surge up the ladder.
“I’m happy that we’re playing more like we’ve wanted to,” Cleary said.
“I’m not really worried about the ladder. We know what we need to do for the future, but at the end of the day, it’s just one game and the next, one day and then the next.
“Yeah, it’s nice to be getting a bit more confidence in the group and start feeling like you can build towards something even better.
“That’s what we’re going to need – to be better again this week.”
