Cowboys winger Braidon Burns has been playing NRL for the past 10 years but has never been part of a finals series.
For someone who has scored 15 tries in 20 games this year, that seems improbable.
He wasn’t part of North Queensland’s run to the second week of finals in 2024, and didn’t figure in former club South Sydney’s three finals campaigns on the trot from 2019-2021.
Burns conjures a double
So Saturday's elimination final against the Sharks at Allianz Stadium will take on even greater importance as Burns runs out for his 100th NRL match.
The chief explanation for Burns absence from finals is his wretched run with injuries.
A ruptured patella (knee) tendon, a dislocated kneecap, three separate MCL tears, hamstring strains, ankle and foot problems have been the irritants he has had to deal with.
From his 10 seasons since making his debut with the Rabbitohs in Round 2, 2017, against Manly, Burns has only reached double-figures for games on four occasions – the most recent being this year which is also his highest input: 20 games.
But he’s in some clear water now and his skipper, Tom Dearden, who himself suffered an injury-disrupted season, is thrilled the 30-year-old is fit and firing.
“He’s a big part of our team and he’s really grown into a leader for our club now,” Dearden told NRL.com.
“He’s at that really good spot in his footy where he’s so important in the way we get our sets started.
“He’s sort of that player we rely on in the backfield to get us going forward.
“It’s been great to see him able to get some football games together.”
Match: Sharks v Cowboys
Finals Week 1 -
home Team
Sharks
5th Position
away Team
Cowboys
8th Position
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
The Cowboys have only four players who featured in every game so far this year – fullback Scott Drinkwater, centre Jaxon Purdue and forwards Heilum Luki and Coen Hess.
Burns managed his 20 so well he is the Cowboys’ top try scorer, eclipsing Purdue’s 14 from 2025.
“We’ve got most of the troops back on deck now,” said Dearden, who missed 14 games this year with a syndesmosis injury, including the entire State of Origin series for Queensland.
“It feels good now because you need those combinations playing week-in and week-out and we’ve started to get that again.
“The last two games together have been really important in getting rid of those cobwebs.
“They weren’t our best performances leading into the finals but we know it’s do-or-die from now on.”
Burns brave in defeat
The 50-30 loss to Canberra a week ago rang a few alarm bells especially with the 15 kicks, including five bombs, that Raiders debutant halfback Coby Black sent in the direction of Drinkwater, Robert Derby and Burns on the wings.
Drinkwater had four handling errors and Derby three. Burns had a clean sheet.
“He had a great debut Coby Black didn’t he?” Dearden said.
“I know Drinky and our back three didn’t have the best night but they’ve not let us down in the past – they’ll turn it around.”
They will need to as Sharks halves Braydon Trindall and Nicho Hines will not miss the opportunity.
Dearden prefers to concentrate instead on the match-up between Tongan front rowers Jason Taumalolo (Cowboys) and Addin Fonua-Blake (Sharks).
“Both players are the leaders of their forward pack – they’ll be going toe-to-toe,” he said.
“Our biggest strength there is that our forwards led by Jase run so hard – they get up into the faces of the opposition and that creates space for our backs.”
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