Dubbo junior Matt Burton has not even played 50 NRL matches in his career but he has already received praise from several legends of the game.
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A lot of the talk about the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs' chances this season have been around Burton's performance after moving to the club from Penrith in the off-season.
One of the games' best former players Cameron Smith, recently revealed on SEN radio he and his former coach holds St John's junior Burton in very high regard.
"The big in for the Bulldogs I think will be Matt Burton, he won a premiership last year with Penrith and has gone over to the Dogs," he said.
"He is going to be playing in the halves I believe, I spoke to Craig Bellamy at the end of last year and he said out of all the young players he coached against he was probably one of the most impressive guys.
"Just with his size, his speed and his ability, as well the way he reads the game.
"He has got a big kick on him, so he just has really well rounded game and for such a young player he is mature beyond his years."
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Burton did the bulk of his damage in a break-out 2021 season at left centre and was rewarded for his efforts by taking out one of Dally M Centre of Year spots before helping the Penrith Panthers to a premiership and even scored the opening try of the grand final against South Sydney.
Burton signed for the Bulldogs at the end of 2020 while he was not playing regular NRL but Panthers legend Greg Alexander is confident Penrith would have the St Johns junior back in a heartbeat if it were possible.
"Of course, they would, he's a great player to play centre," Alexander told SEN radio.
"He showed that last year because he had never played centre before, so he had to learn how to run into space and how to perform what he was normally doing one player inside.
"He became the best hole hitting centre in the game, he would change directions while the ball was coming to put himself into space.
"I don't think anyone realised how fast Matt Burton was until we saw him score a couple of 70 metre tries where he ran away from players and around one of the great fullbacks in James Tedesco."
Alexander went on to admit Burton would not have been able to be paid what he was worth after a superb 2021 season.
"It couldn't work because the player in his position Jarome Luai played State of Origin last year," he said.
"In the salary cup situation the Panthers were in, there really wasn't any more money for Matt Burton to play in the centres.
"It was never going to work, when you've got two outstanding players vying for the same position in the salary cap area, you can't have two number sixes and keep the both while paying them what they deserve."
Burton will make his Bulldogs club debut on Sunday night when the club travel to Townsville to face the North Queensland Cowboys and will play in the halves alongside Canterbury livewire Jake Averillo.
The five-eighth will not be the only product from the region who will run out for the Bulldogs on Sunday evening with a pair of backs also picked.
Both Wellington's Brent Naden and Coonamble's Braidon Burns have been named to play in the centres for the Bulldogs' season opener against the Cowboys.
Kick-off for the match at Queensland Country Bank Stadium at 6:15pm.
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