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Luke Burt
Not long since his dreams of remaining a one-club man looked in
grave doubt, Parramatta veteran Luke Burt has now set his sights on
the realistic goal of finishing his career with the Eels.
The popular 28-year-old winger, who will play his 200th NRL game
for the Eels in Sunday's clash with Manly, put pen to paper on a
new three-year deal on Wednesday to keep him at the club he loves
until at least the end of 2012.
Burt is already hoping he could stay with the Eels beyond that,
revealing he couldn't see himself playing with another NRL club or
moving his family overseas.
"There's no way I'd want to be anywhere else," said Burt, who made
his debut for Parramatta in 1999.
"100% want to finish my career here ... I love the club, my wife
and two kids love the club, it would have felt weird to go to
anywhere else."
Only mid-way through last year rumours were rife the Eels were set
to show Burt the door as they prepared to find space under the
salary cap to keep young guns like Jarryd Hayne and Daniel
Mortimer.
Brilliant form
The Eels even allowed Burt to talk to other clubs, but his
brilliant form in their dream run to last year's grand final
convinced chief executive Paul Osborne he had to stay.
"I think midway through last year there were real question marks
over his long-term future at the club but he really made us all sit
down and shut up," Osborne said.
"It would be fair to say there were a lot of reports that he wasn't
wanted and Luke and I had a conversation about his long term
future.
"I think a week after we had the conversation he scored about nine
tries. I was more than happy to be proven wrong and he's certainly
done that."
The somewhat-unfashionable Burt has never played representative
football, has been shifted around the Eels' backline to account for
the likes of Hayne and hardly compares in size and stature to many
modern backs.
But his consistency, work ethic and likeable character have made
him a long-time fan favourite with Eels fans.
"Luke's really the type of player we want at this club, a good
fellow both on and off the field," Osborne said.
Burt, the highest active point scorer in the NRL with 1348, said
his immediate focus was on joining fellow Eels stalwarts Nathan
Hindmarsh and Nathan Cayless in pushing for the premiership that
has eluded them in their long stints for the club.
"That's another reason why I'm re-signing, I think we have the team
to push for that in the next three years," Burt said.
"It's been pretty elusive and the likes of myself, Hindy and
Cayless are looking for it pretty bad."
