Gould clears up Burton situation after playing future reveal
Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould has moved to clear up the situation around Matt Burton’s playing future after it was revealed the star back had requested to test his value on the open market early.
Nine’s Danny Weidler revealed on Friday that Burton, who is contracted to Canterbury until the end of 2027, had asked the Bulldogs via his manager for permission to explore his options before becoming a free agent on November 1.
Matt Burton. Getty Images
Weidler said Burton wanted to get a head start on the other gun centres set to test the open market, among whom are Latrell Mitchell and Herbie Farnworth.
“Just for the record, so everyone is on the same page,” Gould, Canterbury’s general manager of football, wrote on X in response to Weidler’s report.
“We love Matt Burton … We want to keep him … Matt Burton loves the Bulldogs … He wants to stay … That’s not in question here at all.
“Matt’s management doesn’t want Matt underpaid … Bulldogs don’t want Matt overpaid … That’s both parties being responsible.
“Simple solution … Let the market tell us what the true value might be … Then we can have a more informed discussion.”
Burton was shifted from five-eighth to the centres midway through the 2026 season, with Stephen Crichton taking on the No.6 role and partnering young gun Lachlan Galvin in the halves.
Centres are typically paid less money than halves in the NRL, so it’s likely Burton’s positional switch has factored in his desire to look around.
“To this point, neither Matt’s management, nor the Bulldogs, have spoken about money,” Gould added.
“We want to do what’s right by both parties.
“I’ve known Matt since he first came to Panthers from Dubbo.”
Burton won a premiership with Penrith in 2021 and then made the move to Canterbury, where he has played 114 first-grade games.
He has made three State of Origin appearances for NSW since joining the Bulldogs.
