Greg Burns stays an Eagle

01/09/2020

Greg Burns is the latest player to sign a one-year extension with Sheffield Eagles.

Having come through the Eagles Reserves system, he has become a regular in the first team squad over the past few seasons and he’ll be looking to keep up that progress in 2021.

Burns is one of many to have come through the club’s infrastructure, which is something Head Coach Mark Aston is proud of.

He said: “The pleasing thing with Greg is that he had the adversity at the start, not getting into the Academy, but he found a way by perseverance,”

“He has flourished since then and he is still developing.

“He has turned himself into an established Championship performer with the amount of games he has played.

“That is a credit to him and we also need to give credit to Andrew Henderson who did great work with him a few years ago.

“We fetched Robbie Ward in for more competition alongside him and Davey but Greg still finds a way to get into the team.

“He is smart, his detail around the ruck is very good, and he just needs to believe in himself more.”

After re-signing for his hometown club, Burns said: “It was great to be offered another deal,”

“I wasn’t too sure what was going to happen with the season being cut short, but it’s good to be staying on.”

2019 was a special year for Burns as he, alongside his brother Paddy and fellow Academy/Reserves graduates Blake Broadbent and Ryan Millar, played and won at Wembley in the 1895 Cup Final.

It’s something that will live with Burns for the rest of his life, adding: “It was a class experience and something not many Championship players get to do during their career,”

“Playing at Wembley still seems mad to me. It’s not something I could have ever expected.

“Playing and winning there with a team I’ve grown up supporting makes it a million times better.

Burns is looking forward to getting back involved with the squad when pre-season arrives, as the club aims for another successful campaign.

“As a team, just before lockdown, we seemed to be getting a bit more momentum,” the hooker said.

“Hopefully we can keep a similar squad, keep that continuity going, and have a good pre-season so we can start the new year well.”

By Dan Fowler, photo by Alex Coleman