Bulldogs’ Matt Burton Focuses on Team Over Rumours
Bulldogs five-eighth Matt Burton has been keeping his focus on the team rather than the ongoing speculation about his future. With a year left on his current contract, there have been persistent whispers that he could potentially move to Perth in 2027, which would help Canterbury manage its salary cap. However, Burton is not letting these rumors distract him from his responsibilities with the club.
At an event on Monday, when asked about the potential move, Burton emphasized that he’s focused on playing his best for the Bulldogs. “At the moment I’m just playing my best footy for the Dogs and we’ll see what happens from there. But I’ll leave it with my manager and the club to sort things out,” he said.
Burton added that he doesn’t pay much attention to the media or outside noise. “I don’t really read into it too much. I hear about it from people that read a lot into the media and see it as well. But I’ve got a job to do here at the Dogs, and that’s to play footy.”
He also expressed his willingness to play anywhere on the field if needed. “I’ll just play anywhere for the team if they need. We’ve obviously got a team-first mentality here, so anywhere I get put in, I just want to put my best foot forward for the team.”
Key Backline Changes Ahead of Upcoming Match
The Bulldogs’ backline will be a major talking point ahead of their next match. Captain Stephen Crichton is expected to return from a shoulder injury, while winger Jacob Kiraz is likely to be ruled out due to a knee issue. If Crichton is cleared to play, Bronson Xerri may shift to right centre, a move that caused some controversy earlier this year when he was dropped from the side.
When asked about Crichton’s potential return, Burton said, “I think he’s a good chance, which will be good to see him back. He’s obviously a massive inclusion if he does come back, but whoever steps in there will do the job.”
Regardless of who plays, the Bulldogs need to address the inconsistency that has plagued them in recent weeks. After ending Penrith’s winning streak in round 6, they lost to the Eels, who were missing several key players due to injuries.
Coach and Veteran Reflect on Performance
Coach Cameron Ciraldo was visibly frustrated after the loss to the Eels, but veteran Kurt Mann dismissed suggestions that the team had become complacent after their win over Penrith.
“I wouldn’t say it was complacency,” Mann said ahead of the upcoming match against the Broncos. “I think it’s probably too many errors, just putting too much pressure on ourselves coming out of our own end and probably not executing the game plan how we would have liked to.
“It makes it really hard to gain possession and to lose field position and that, so pretty hard to execute the game plan when you’re making that many errors.
“It’s just disappointing. To perform the way we did last week, and then to go out there yesterday and probably not execute the game plan is disappointing.
“There are going to be a lot of lessons out of it and we’re going to look at that. The NRL is all about consistency. You’ve got to be good every week. At the moment, we’ve been a little bit up and down, so we’re trying to find that consistency at the moment.
“I think we’re going to look at ways to do that today and throughout the year.”
