Matt Burton cleared for takeoff as Bulldogs depart for Vegas season opener

The NRL's Las Vegas takeover is underway.

The Bulldogs were the first club to depart for the US on Thursday, leading the charge ahead of next week's season-opening double-header.

Among those travelling was star half Matt Burton, who has been cleared to face the Dragons despite being forced off in Saturday's trial with a hamstring injury.

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While the hamstring strain initially had fans fearing the worst, Burton has recovered in time to take flight.

"Burto's really good news," Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo said at the airport on Thursday.

"[His] scans came back all clear, and he trained really well during the week.

"He's looking very healthy now."

Ciraldo explained that the injury was ultimately more of a psychological hurdle than a physical one for the 25-year-old.

"It was just a bit of a scare for him, obviously quite stressful," he said.

"Leading up to Vegas, you feel something little, and you can probably make it in your head a little bit bigger than what it is.

"So, he trained with no restrictions yesterday."

Despite the demands of a long-haul trip to the States, Ciraldo insisted that starting Burton is not a gamble.

"He didn't train like he had a strain there yesterday," he said.

"Everyone's backs will be a little sore after being on a flight for 16 hours or so, but we're doing all the one percenters on the way there and when we get there, and I'm sure everyone will pull up in good condition, and we'll be able to train on Sunday."

The Bulldogs are fully embracing the bright lights of the NRL's Vegas experience — a milestone Ciraldo believes reflects how far the group has come.

"I was pretty nervous about going over the first couple of years, a bit of the unknown," he said.

"But having watched how it's gone the last two years, and I reckon we've been able to learn some lessons from all the teams that have gone over. I think we're in a really good position to go over there and understand what we're walking into.

"The teams that have gone over and embraced it, they all come back telling us it's like a grand final atmosphere, and they're the sort of atmospheres we want to be a part of.

"So, this hopefully can be really good practice for us."

The NRL season kicks off in Las Vegas on Sunday, March 1 (AEDT).