Burns my kind of NRL player, says Kennedy

24 Jul 2012, 5:48 pm   -   Source: AAP
Mose Masoe (pic) holds no ill feelings towards Travis Burns despite his NRL chicken wing tackle. (AAP)

Mose Masoe (pic) holds no ill feelings towards Travis Burns despite his NRL chicken wing tackle. (AAP)

Martin Kennedy has jumped to the defence of Travis Burns with the Penrith utility set to receive a long ban for his high shot on the Sydney Roosters prop.

Despite being floored by a high shot that could lead to Travis Burns picking up a long NRL suspension, Sydney Roosters prop Martin Kennedy says he'd love to play alongside the abrasive Penrith playmaker.

Five-eighth Burns was sent off by referee Ashley Klein during Sunday's 28-16 win by the Panthers at Centrebet Stadium for his challenge on Kennedy.

His hearing to face the NRL judiciary has been adjourned until next week after he opted to risk a 12-game ban by pleading not guilty to a grade three intentional high tackle charge.

However, he has issued a notice of preparedness to plead to a lesser charge of a reckless high tackle.

The former Manly and North Queensland player has accepted a grade two charge for a chicken wing tackle on Roosters front-rower Mose Masoe that will see him miss the Panthers' next three games.

Kennedy said that he was surprised at the potential length of the penalty against Burns and is looking forward to playing against the 28-year-old when he returns to action.

"My thoughts when I saw the replay were 1-0," Kennedy said on Tuesday,

"I thought Trav caught me a beauty, it's not one of those things that you like to see when you're falling down in such a manner, but I have no hard feelings.

"There are thousands of tackles that go on during a season and sometimes there are some that go bad."

With the issue of the shoulder charge very much under the microscope by the match review committee, Kennedy said Burns' actions couldn't have come at a worst time for him.

"You don't like to see players miss any time and it is probably bad timing with all the other things that are going on at the moment," he said.

"He is one of those players I would love to play with. He is a hard competitor and very fierce on the field, a tough little guy.

"Everyone jokes about how soft backs are, but no-one could ever question how tough he is. It's just unfortunate that he's going to miss some footy."

Kennedy said he was against the rules of the being adjusted to rub out of the shoulder charge and feared there was a danger of diluting the appeal of the game should it disappear.

"If I was concerned about getting me noggin knocked off I would go and play netball," he said.

"I am not worried about it at all and I don't want it taken out of the game.

"It's why people love rugby league, the fearsome competitiveness and the high-impact collisions.

"If we start tinkering with the rules or changing them then I think the fans will revolt against it."

Masoe echoed Kennedy's sentiments towards Burns but said he would never use the chicken wing on an opponent.

"I have nothing against him because whatever happens on the field, stays on the field in my eyes," he said.

"It's not something we do here, and it is not something we want to do," he said.

"I have never been in a situation to try to do a chicken wing."

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