Phil Gould gives promising update on Matt Burton's Las Vegas availability after undergoing scans on hamstring

A trip to Las Vegas looked in serious doubt for Matt Burton over the weekend, but the Bulldogs star may be fit to take the field sooner than many first thought.

Burton went down with a hamstring injury in the 24th minute of the Bulldogs' trial match against the Knights on Saturday, leaving fans concerned he may not be fit for round one.

Having been seen walking to the sheds clutching at the back of his left leg, Phil Gould admitted that team doctors initially believed it was a "low-grade" injury with "strength and range retained".

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Gould wrote on X that Burton insisted he just "felt a pinch in a tackle", but he would still need to undergo further assessment and be sent for scans to determine the severity.

The Canterbury general manager has since confirmed some of the scan results.

"Matt Burton MRI scan today shows no tear of the hamstring," Gould wrote on X.

"Awaiting full report, but appears good to go."

Gould then applauded the quick thinking of the medical team during the trial game.

"A big congratulations to the coaches and staff who saw Matt Burton's reaction in a tackle and ordered him to come from the field immediately," he said..

"Good spotting, quick action - looks like it will be a great result.

"No reason to take any risks in round one," Gould added in a later tweet.

"No reason to take big risks at anytime when you have depth in your squad. However, if Matt Burton is right to play, he will be our five-eighth."

It is a promising sign for the club, given league greats were unsure if Burton would even be able to make the trip to Vegas due to the visible pain he was in.

"That's never a good sign if a player is limping ... generally if you have a minor hamstring, you can walk without limping," Greg Alexander said at half time on Fox League.

"I don't think he's any chance of playing in Vegas".

Footage showed the injury occurred when Burton threw a dummy at the halfway line and tried to pierce through the line.

At the time of Burton's departure, the Bulldogs were leading 10-0 after tries to himself and Jonathan Sua.

Canterbury pushed on in his absence with Jaeman Salmon crossing in the 33rd minute.

The second half brought more domination from the Bulldogs, who led 16-0 at the first break.

Viliame Kikau and Cooper Toy scored the final two tries to seal a 28-0 result, with completion rates a glaring blemish for the Knights, finishing at 64 per cent.

For total errors, the Knights had 16 to the Bulldogs' 10.

The Bulldogs head to Las Vegas on Friday to play against the Dragons on March 1.