"It's a dream come true," former Parkes boy Billy Burns said after the Penrith Panthers officially confirmed its NRL development list for 2019 on Monday afternoon.
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The former Parkes Marist and Parkes Spacemen junior is among the six young guns to sign development contracts with the Panthers.
The NRL salary cap model allows each club to sign up to six youngsters on development contracts, who will train with the full-time squad and be available for NRL selection midway through the season.
"It feels pretty good, it's part of my contract extension," the second rower said.
"Most of us are pretty young, we're around the same age and we're excited to be given the opportunity."
It'd be an unreal experience [to play in the NRL], it's always been a dream of mine to play in the NRL.
- Billy Burns
It's another step forward in the 20-year-old's footy career, who finished 2018 on a high after he was selected in the NSW Under-20 squad that took on Queensland in the 2018 Holden State of Origin III curtain-raiser last July.
He was also a reliable performer for the Panthers ISP side, according to the club.
Burns debuted with the Under 20s Penrith Panthers in June 2016, after signing with the side in November 2015.
He's enjoyed plenty of success in the Panthers lower grades.
In 2016 Burns represented the Australian Schoolboys side, along with scoring tries in the SG Ball grand final and national championship game.
“Billy is a talented back-rower with silky hands,” Panthers Academy Coach Ben Harden said.
“He’s not a traditional back-rower - he’s a ball-player with a good left foot.
"He’s learning the right balance between doing the hard stuff and moving the ball on the edge."
Burns has been training with the full-time squad throughout the preseason, after first signing the development contract in November.
He will continue to train with the side three days a week and will train and play with the NSW Cup team for the remaining days.
"It's good, it's a different level of intensity," Burns said of the training with the full-time squad.
"Playing in the NRL is the ultimate goal for the next two years.
"It'd be an unreal experience [to play in the NRL], it's always been a dream of mine to play in the NRL.
"I'm hoping to play good footy and just see what happens next."
Burns is a former Holy Family Primary School and Red Bend Catholic College student.