Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould spoke about Matt Burton on a podcast this week and how there was no chance of him running off “in the middle of the night” to sign with another club before his contract expires.
But running off in the middle of the night is exactly what Burton did against the Melbourne Storm on Friday night.
Burton ran and ran against the Storm as he and rookie forward Jack Underhill inspired a much-needed victory for the Dogs.
They were facing a sixth straight loss, and basically needed the 30-20 victory to lift the spirits.
The five-eighth is renowned for having one of the most lethal left boots in the competition, but based on his efforts in the middle of Accor Stadium, expect to see Burton given full licence to start running the ball in attack.
You have to wonder why Burton had not poured more energy into running the ball. For a big man, he has a serious turn of foot.
Canterbury football manager Phil Gould went on a mini publicity tour this week to try and take some of the heat off the Dogs. A loss to Melbourne would have all but killed off their finals aspirations in May.
Burton is one storyline given he is off contract at the end of 2027, and there has been constant speculation he is free to leave at the end of the year. Parramatta would love a crack if he gets permission to negotiate, but that’s another story.
If Burton was excellent, so was Underhill, the Sunshine Coast kid who debuted at Magic Round, and had some memorable moments against Melbourne.
His shot on Alec MacDonald to force the ball free late in the first half lifted the spirits of the players and the crowd. Melbourne led 18-6 at the time, and another try could have sealed the result.
Underhill then came up with a charge-down on a Jahrome Hughes kick, and regathered the ball, which allowed the Dogs to continue attacking with the game on the line. He was given a rockstar reception when he came from the field, was asked to return to play the ball, only to run off a second time to another deafening roar of approval.
The strawberry blond hair will evoke memories of Bulldogs forwards James Graham and Aidan Tolman.
It was not all great news for Canterbury who lost Jacob Preston to a fractured forearm after 10 minutes, with the back-rower staying on the field to make a couple of tackles, only to succumb to the pain.
The Storm had their chances, and led 10-0 after almost as many minutes with Moses Leo bagging a double. His first try featured him brushing off some soft defence from Marcelo Montoya and Jacob Kiraz, who returned from a knee injury, and was thrust straight into fullback once Connor Tracey was ruled out with a hamstring injury.
When a diving Kiraz tried to keep a Hughes 40-20 attempt from going into touch, Leo was able to scoop up the ball and score untouched.
The Dogs will look to build next Saturday against Wests Tigers, who have some of their stars returning, including Api Koroisau and one-time Dogs target Jahream Bula.
Melbourne host the Roosters, but do get back Queensland Origin star duo Cameron Munster and Harry Grant.