Max Burey already knows a week is a long time in football, let alone a year.
Seven days ago, the Waratahs recruit was stuck in the middle of a contract standoff between the Force and NSW, and for no good reason, Burey looked likely to miss the Super Rugby AUS competition.
Fast-forward a week and Burey has been named at No.10 for the Waratahs opening round clash with the Brumbies on Sunday, after Rugby Australia cut the right-sized cheque and resolved the problem.
“It was good to hear,” Burey said. “I was a bit of floating in no-man’s land there for a bit. I had kept training and kept ticking along, making sure I was ready in case. Then I got the green light when (Waratahs interim coach) Locky (McCaffrey) messaged me.
“It’s just good to know what you’re doing so you can start to plan and build off that. Obviously, I’m excited to play footy.”
Burey will take his place in a NSW side with a mixture of existing Super Rugby stars, recruits and developing players drawn from the Waratahs pathways and Shute Shield. Last year Sid Harvey, James Hendren and Apolosi Ranawai won full-time contracts via strong form in Super Rugby AUS.
McCaffrey has called up several players from the premiership-winning Easts side, including highly-rated outside centre Otto Serfontein, prop Edwin Langi, former Highlanders winger Freedom Vaha’akolo and 18-year blindside flanker Justice Taumoepeau, who will start. Taumoepeau, the son of former Tahs forwards coach Pauli, is also still in the Australian Schools and under 18 squad.
The Tahs backrow will also contain 34-year-old Pete Samu and rising Norths openside flanker Marshall Le-Maitre, 20, who is smoky to debut in Super Rugby next season.
Burey will partner in-form Tahs and Easts halfback Teddy Wilson, and he’s keen to make a similar impact on the competition as he did last year, when the 27-year-old was exceptional for the Force.
NSW beat the WA side in the final but Burey was named player of the tournament. The Wagga product was approached by the Tahs thereafter.
“The coaches here saw me play rugby at a higher level, and to be honest, that’s probably why I ended up here — it was based off that,” he said.
Burey’s deal to join NSW as a five-eighth followed, as per a year being an even longer time in rugby than a week, so did plenty of other roster change at the Tahs.
Including the Waratahs signing Bernard Foley, the veteran five-eighth, for 2027.
Far from being miffed, Burey was stoked to hear the news. He and Foley have been friends for several years, after first meeting when Burey was with the Australian sevens team in 2022 and Foley trained with the squad.
Burey said he has leaned on Foley as a mentor, including getting advice just ahead of the fateful Super Rugby AUS competition last year.
“Around this time last year, I was chatting to him over the phone to get advice, so it ended up being a full-circle moment now that we’ve both ended up at the Waratahs” Burey said. “The conversations I had with him really helped me play well in that tournament, so it will be very beneficial.
”With him, it’s not so much, “This is how I do it, so this is how you have to do it.” He empowers you, asks questions, and makes you think more about the game. I already know what I know; I want to learn what he knows, see how he views the game, and that’s how you grow.”
Foley and Burey share similarities; both are short, skilled utility types who came up through sevens and settled at five-eighth. Burey has much to do to reach Foley’s heights in the game, of course, but he says he’s excited to learn from his new teammate.
The Tahs’ five-eighth stable of Foley, Burey and rookie Joey Fowler – with all three at different stages – is a “blueprint for how it should work in Aussie rugby”, Burey says.
“That’s how it should work, almost like a conveyor belt,” he said.
“It’s outstanding. Obviously, we have coaches around, but having a guy [like Foley] who’s right in the heat of it, with all his experience, it lets you have one-on-one time to sit down, watch film, and go through things on the field. It’s great.”
No Super Rugby jersey in Australia has a brighter spotlight on it than the Waratahs No.10. But Burey, who has played 37 Super games over four years, says he isn’t concerned about the pressure.
“You have to lean into it. If you’re playing 10, you’re happy to be wearing the jersey and you don’t want to shy away from it,” he said.
“I don’t believe there’s extra pressure. Whether at the Force or anywhere else, whatever jersey you wear, you have to perform.
“Sure, there might be a bit more media coverage, but I have the perfect guy here to help handle that. I don’t see any extra pressure; I see a great opportunity. You want time in that 10 jersey. It will be awesome.”
Burey said he is similarly stoked about the chance to play under returning coach Michael Cheika.
“He knows what it takes to win Super Rugby. He has a big reputation for being tough, but if you’re going to win Super Rugby, that’s what you need,” Burey said. “He is a world-class coach, and I’m looking forward to being in that environment and learning from him.”
Iain Payten is a senior sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.