Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs five-eighth Matt Burton has said not only that he wants to remain in Belmore, but that he is willing to take a pay cut for his next deal.
For Burton, he wants to play his best footy and be at his happiest without the pressure of being a playmaker.
Initially, contract talks between the Bulldogs and Burton began in April. However, he has since paused talks and wants to resume conversations after the season has finished.
The 2021 premiership winner, who played as the Panthers' left centre next to Brian To'o, is expected to line up at centre against his former team.
Despite being linked to leaving the Bulldogs and signing with the Perth Bears over the last 12 months, Burton has shifted his priorities and wants to remain happy rather than focus on the amount he is being paid.
Phil Gould, the Bulldogs' general manager, addressed Burton's contract situation and the nature of the discussions in May.
"Over the next 18 months we've got to work out what we pay Matt Burton," Gould said on James Graham's The Bye Round Podcast in May this year.
"If he plays centre, what are you going to pay him? If he plays five-eighth, what are you going to pay him? Well, he's got some decisions to make."
On Monday, Burton revealed he's unfazed by his earning potential and the talent at the club that would see him shuffle to centre permanently, given the club's priority for Lachlan Galvin to play halfback and Mitchell Woods in the long-term plans in the halves.
“A little bit, it does [come up], but at the moment I'm just happy playing footy and I think sometimes being happy is worth more than what the money is,” Burton said to the media
“I'll just see what happens and leave it until November… I just told my manager that we'll leave it until the end of the year. I'm happy playing footy here at the moment, and I don't want to make that a distraction. We need to win these last few games, so that's my main priority.”
The Sydney Morning Herald revealed that the NRL's most recent salary cap benchmarking document, used to help clubs identify player values based on market values, has the game's top-earning five-eighths earning the average salary of $923,386.
The figure is based on the average wages of the top five highest-paid five-eighths, which is almost $100,000 per year more than the game's five highest-earning centres, with an average salary of $839,216.
While Burton could take $100,000 less per season, he is focused on this season and has noticed a significant difference since he shifted to centre in their win against the Manly Sea Eagles.
“I love both positions, but I've been enjoying my time out there in the centres,” Burton said.
“It's been good just to take a step back and just do all the little things right in the game.
“[Ciraldo] just pulled me aside and said I need to work on a few things in my game. Kick chase was a big one, and it's pretty much a non-negotiable out there in the centres, so I got that back into my game.
“And giving energy to the side with that, then just chasing little effort areas in defence. I feel like that's come back in my game after moving out there as well… It took a bit of the pressure off me, and I [could] just do the simple things well.
“I'm a bit happier out there and enjoy the game a bit more. And if you're happy and everything's going well, it definitely shows on the field.”
Since Burton's switch to centre, he has found the line for five tries in seven matches and one game under 113 running metres.
If the Bulldogs can't extend Burton before November 1, rivals can circle the 26-year-old and potentially pay him a significant deal that the Belmore-based side can't match.
This Friday night against the Penrith Panthers is a must-win if the Bulldogs want to remain in the hunt for a spot in the finals.
