Following a breakout 2025 season, Billy Burns remains a cornerstone edge in the Sharks' evolving engine room.
The 27-year-old has found himself at home in the Shire following stints at the Panthers and the Dragons over his seven-season career.
Following a two-year extension in March, Burns has established himself as a reliable piece of the Sharks pack and is strengthening his trade throughout his stay.
"Yeah, it's good. It's good to have the feeling of belief in the coaches, from 'Fitzy' and the club backing me," Burns told Zero Tackle.
"So I'm definitely proud to stay here. It's such a good club. Got plenty of history, so I'm glad to keep adding to that and playing with a good bunch of guys."
Following his leadership role in captaining the Newtown Jets to a NSW Cup Grand Final in 2024, Burns signed a one-year extension last year, following a bunch of elite performances helping the Sharks navigate their way into the finals.
His leadership role with the Jets set him up accordingly to support the Sharks star-studded forward pack, adding reliability and high-effort, tradesperson-like displays in the top grade.
"Yeah, it's definitely a bit different," he said on the comparison of the leadership roles.
"Trying to help the younger guys there. Still trying to do that now in a different capacity, but yeah, just try to help the leaders when they need it. They've got their own group, and I just support that where I can.
"But it's definitely good to be playing (top) grade and doing it consistently."
Burns made his NRL debut in 2019 after becoming a highly touted Australian schoolboy three years prior, flowing through the Panthers' elite pathways system.
Burns was part of a swap deal with Eddie Blacker, which saw him make the move to the St George Illawarra Dragons in 2021, recording 29 appearances over three seasons but failed to lock down a consistent spot in the club's 17 week-in, week-out.
Then the move to the Shire kicked off in 2024, but after a quiet year with only four games recorded, he was still integral for the Jets and their run to their title.
The confidence from a NSW Cup Grand Final win spring-boarded him up the ranks with a breakout 2025 campaign, with 17 appearances, winning 11 of those encounters.
Rewarded for his hard work and meteroic rise, he earned himself a starting spot on the edge for the Sharks heading into their 2025 finals run.
The highly improved second rower has notched eight games to his name this year, including the Sharks' most recent 52-10 demolition of the Wests Tigers in front of a boisterous home crowd on Sunday.
"I think a massive one for us was getting our prep right throughout the week, keeping each other accountable, and then that turns out to be a pretty good performance for us," Burns said in some words of reflection on the club's recent outing.
"Don't think we were expecting to come out and put on a performance like that, but we're just trying to grow on the week before and get better, and we definitely did that."
The Sharks now face the formidable task of thwarting the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Saturday, and despite recent omissions of Latrell Mitchell and Jamie Humphreys, they still shape up as a skilled opponent.
"Yeah, (they) definitely have good ball movement off Cam Murray and then they go to such a good left edge there, with Cody (Walker), Latrell (Mitchell), and David (Fifita)," Burns said of Souths' lethal attack.
"So, just trying to put in a good performance. If we turn the ball over in the right spots, try to take them out of the game, and just keep working hard for each other. If someone misses a tackle, just be there to support them."
Burns suffered injuries throughout his career which had limited his time on the paddock, including surgery on a foot fracture which lingered into his 2022 season with the Dragons.
It is a testament to his resilience, and faced the idea of giving up on the NRL in the backend of his Dragons days following Shane Flanagan in 2024, leaving him without a contract.
However, Craig Fitzgibbon took a punt on the tough second rower and hasn't taken a backward step since.
With Burns extended until the end of the 2028 season, he will be battling the likes of Teig Wilton, Briton Nikora and English international recruit Owen Trout for a starting spot in seasons ahead.
