Braidon burns Bunnies as the new Cowboy in town

Signed to add depth to North Queensland’s depleted outside backs, Braidon Burns completed a whirlwind fortnight on Saturday, playing a starring role to bury his former team in a two-try display.

Last Saturday, the former Rabbitohs utility was in Papua New Guinea, scoring a double for the Northern Pride in the Hostplus Cup after a mid-season transfer, with his Magic Round club debut coming after being a late call-up for the injured Kyle Feldt.

Burns filled his try-scoring boots in style, scoring either side of halftime to help the Cowboys break their five-game losing streak.

“I do enjoy it, being back out there,” Burns said. “But when I was leaving Souths, I was laughing with some of the guys I was working with about maybe playing Souths at Magic Round in a couple of weeks, I want to be playing that game and you know, it's funny how things work out.

“I got the chance and it's not that I wanted to go out and prove anything, I just think I wanted to go out and play my best footy, and I don't think I'm there yet.

“I think there's still some things in my game that I've got to work on, and that'll come the more I play. I played two games in the last month-and-a-half.”

Cowboys coach Todd Payten said Burns – whose family was set to relocate and join him in Townsville today – was a ‘great story’, praising him after his quality performance.

“He's only been at the club now for 10-11 days,” Payten said.

“He's had some injury concerns in the past, but he's played a lot of footy this year, played a large chunk of footy at the back end of last year.

“He's coming in and he's fitted in well, worked hard, is articulate, good energy around the group and to play against his former team, that's strange how things work out, but he's scored a couple of tries and made a couple of good defensive plays and he’ll be better next week.”

With Feldt no guarantee of returning for their Indigenous Round match against the Tigers, Burns could be back for a longer run than expected in an NRL team he joined sooner than expected.

“Yeah, the right wing's nice,” Burns said with a laugh.

“I probably consider myself more of a centre, but I enjoy playing on the wing and scoring tries, so it's fun as well.”