NRL 2021: Bulldogs head sponsor Arthur Laundy calls on Panthers to let Matt Burton leave club

As Matt Burton gets set for a second week in NSW Cup, Bulldogs major sponsor and pub baron Arthur Laundy has called on Penrith to ‘stop standing in his way’.

NEWCASTLE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 12: Connor Watson of the Knights is tackled by Jake Averillo of the Bulldogs during the round one NRL match between the Newcastle Knights and the Canterbury Bulldogs at McDonald Jones Stadium, on March 12, 2021, in Newcastle, Australia. (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)

Canterbury’s major sponsor and pub baron Arthur Laundy has accused Penrith of selfishness by refusing to let Matt Burton leave, declaring: “They’re not thinking of the lad.”

The barb comes on the eve of Saturday’s grudge match at Bankwest Stadium.

“Let him go, they are standing in a young person’s way,” Laundy said.

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Matt Burton is facing a second week in a row playing in NSW Cup.

“I feel sorry for him.”

Laundy said he “can’t accept” Penrith’s decision to retain Burton — who has a 2021 contract but has been unable to crack the NRL side this season — and claimed the situation was “sad and disappointing.”

“And I would say to any executive of Penrith, if it was your son, then I think you feel the same way I do,” Laundy said.

“My message to Penrith is: Don’t stand in anyone’s way.”

For the second successive week, Burton has been chosen as a non-playing reserve in jumper 19. He is likely to line up for the Panthers’ NSW Cup side in curtain-raiser on Saturday against Mounties.

The Burton drama will add another layer of intrigue to what will be a fierce match full of feeling after Trent Barrett left Penrith’s coaching staff for Belmore.

“If Matt Burton isn’t going play first grade then we should have Matt Burton over at Canterbury, where, I believe, he is a certainty to play first grade,” said Laundy, the hotel tycoon whose pub empire is worth an estimated $800 million.

Bulldogs main sponsor Arthur Laundy.

“Let him go, he has a limited time (in the game). My thinking is about the lad.

“I like Ivan (Cleary), he is very honourable and nice guy. But how would he go if all of a sudden somebody offered Nathan some extraordinary amount where Penrith couldn’t keep him within their salary cap? A year out could be one-sixth of Matty’s football career.

“When Ivan went from Wests Tigers, he was still under contract. But they saw fit to let him go because I imagine they felt that he had a very good offer and why stand in his way. I think very much the same with Matty Burton out there (at Penrith).”

Told Burton had again been selected as a reserve, Laundy said: “I just feel that is standing in a young person’s way. And I would say to any executive of Penrith, if it was your son, then I think you feel the same way I do.

“My message to Penrith is: Don’t stand in anyone’s way.

“I just feel it’s sad because I don’t think they are thinking of the lad. Players have a (playing) life of five, six, sometimes 10 years. We don’t see a lot of players like Cameron Smith, who play forever. They only have this time to earn their money, to set themselves up.

“If Penrith will play Burton in first grade, I agree, they are entitled to keep him and so he should stay. But if he’s not going to get a run, I can’t accept that.

“The players aren’t doing courses like you have done to be writing newspaper articles and they aren’t doing a course like I did where I had to get in and learn how to run a pub.

Laundy is hoping the Bulldogs can bounce back from their big defeat last weekend.

“This is their course and I feel sorry that he has been offered better money to come to Canterbury, obviously. If a player has a short amount of time to make his money then $100,000 means a lot to them. I was a little disappointed.

“I have managers from time to time that want to leave. I have a couple of thousand people work for me. If they’re going to improve themselves then they go totally with my blessing.

“Penrith may feel in another couple of games he will become a regular first grader then, in that case, I absolutely accept their decision. This is their trade. They need the foundations to build their life.”

Laundy was disappointed with Canterbury’s 32-16 round one loss to Newcastle and is pushing for improvement in coming weeks.

“I guess we have to be realistic about it but there is a bit of living up to be done yet. There are a considerable number of people saying this will be ‘build up’ season for next year when we get Burton and (Josh) Addo-Carr,” Laundy said.

“But I think we deserve a reasonable recognition this year – we should be noticed – but unless we can do better than last week that’s not going to happen.” 

Why Bulldogs won’t stop rising star’s No.6 audition

Canterbury coach Trent Barrett has insisted the noise surrounding Matt Burton’s arrival to the club has not had an impact on Jake Averillo, but he wouldn’t be drawn into the future role of the rising playmaker in the side.

Local junior Averillo, who has re-signed with the Bulldogs until the end of 2023, is the man expected to make way for Penrith’s Matt Burton when he lobs in Belmore.

But Barrett, who will take on Penrith on Saturday for the first time since helping guide the side to a grand final appearance in 2020, was only prepared to lay out a short term plan when asked about Averillo’s best position moving forward.

Trent Barrett says he was more than happy with Averillo against the Knights.

“This week he will be in the halves, round three, he’ll be in the halves, round four, he’ll be in halves,” Barrett said.

Averillo came through the junior ranks in the halves and has made no secret of his ambitions to play at five-eighth at the NRL level.

When asked about the constant speculation surrounding Burton’s potential early release from Penrith and whether the headlines had an impact on Averillo, Barrett said: “No, he is going good. He’s a good little player, Jake.”

“He did a good job for us last week. He is an athletic kid, he can play in a number of positions. He can play fullback, he can play centre and he does a good job at five-eighth as well. We need him to play well this week.

“It was his third game starting in the halves, it’s a big learning curve for him but he is doing well.”

Since joining Canterbury as head coach, Barrett has lured boom halfback Burton to Belmore on a lucrative two-year deal from season 2022. Barrett also signed former Penrith forward Jack Hetherington.

The Bulldogs are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Matt Burton.

Despite Burton’s deal not kicking in until November 1, Canterbury have been pushing for an early release for the 21-year-old to join the Bulldogs this season.

There has been speculation the signature of Hetherington and Burton, plus the Bulldogs’ pursuit of Spencer Leniu and Stephen Crichton, has put a strain on Barrett’s relationship with Panthers coach Ivan Cleary.

But Barrett insisted his relationships with Cleary and others at his former club has not soured.

“It’s all right. It is what it is. I have to do what’s best for Canterbury. I work here and my loyalties lay here and always will be,” Barrett said.

“The relationships out there are still good.”

Barrett also denied he and Cleary had “tense” words during a phone conversation in early February over Burton’s immediate future.

Trent Barrett says his relationship with Penrith has not soured.

“There were no tense words,” Barrett said.

“We had a phone call a couple of months ago but I speak to a few people regularly over at Penrith. I have spent a lot of time out there and I do know them very well.”

While Barrett admitted not to have spoken to Cleary “for a couple of months”, the Canterbury coach did reveal he and Burton are in contact.

Burton is rated as an NRL quality talent but at Penrith he is stuck behind halves Jarome Luai and Nathan Cleary. Burton was again named in Penrith’s NSW Cup side this weekend.

Barrett is comfortable Burton’s development is not being hampered at Penrith as the youngster bides his time for an NRL start.

“Burto is contracted, we get that. Penrith is a good club, he’ll get the education he needs,” Barrett said.

Originally published as NRL 2021: Bulldogs head sponsor Arthur Laundy calls on Panthers to let Matt Burton leave club