The Pirtek Parramatta Eels and Wests Tigers will play for the inaugural Sean Burns Memorial Shield at Bluetongue Stadium on Saturday night, February 11.
Burns was a Strength and Conditioning Coach at both clubs and was highly respected by the players for his professional work ethic. Burns recently passed away, aged 39, leaving behind a young family.
Almost the entire Parramatta and Wests Tigers NRL squads were in attendance for his funeral at Castle Hill last Monday in honour of Burns.
A former high ranked police officer, Burns worked his way through the Parramatta Eels junior representative ranks as a strength and conditioner trainer from 2006-08 before joining Wests Tigers in 2009 to work with the NYC team.
Burns was then promoted to work with the NRL squad as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach before being appointed to the head role midway through last season. He left Wests Tigers at the end of 2011 to return to Parramatta as the Club's Head Strength and Conditioning Coach.
A minute's silence will be held in memory of Sean prior to the NRL trial match at 7.30pm. Both teams will wear black armbands.
Players from Parramatta and Wests Tigers NYC and NSW Cup teams will walk around the ground throughout the night to take gold coin donations for the Burns family.
Wests Tigers winger Beau Ryan and Parramatta prop Tim Mannah delivered beautiful eulogies in memory of their trainer and friend.
"Burnsy is sadly missed by all the boys at Wests Tigers. He was more than a trainer, he was a brother to the players. He was one of us,''
Ryan said.
"I know the boys are very keen to win the first Sean Burns Memorial Shield. He always gave his all in his three years at Wests Tigers. He is forever in our hearts."
“In the short time we had with Sean he made a profound impression on all of us,” Tim Mannah said.
“He was the sort of guy who brought out the best in you… he pushed us to achieve things we didn’t think we were capable of.
“He was also an ultra-competitive guy and I know he’d be loving the fact both of his teams will be doing their best to win the first Sean Burns Memorial Shield.
“Our hearts go out to Sean’s family and tomorrow night we all get our chance to support them – we are really looking forward to it.”
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