The dust has barely settled on the 2025 NRL season for the Canterbury Bulldogs, but the constant speculation regarding Matt Burton’s future is only going up a gear.

The star five-eighth and centre might be contracted with the Bulldogs for the coming years, but his future has increasingly been under the microscope in recent weeks.

The signing of Lachlan Galvin mid-season, departure of Toby Sexton at the end of it, and recent comments from Phil Gould suggesting Mitchell Woods could be in line to take over the halfback spot next year, has Burton potentially looking at needing to shift to the centres for the upcoming season.

There, the Bulldogs have Stephen Crichton and Bronson Xerri as their locked-in starters, and while Crichton could move to fullback for Canterbury, Connor Tracey has done nothing to lose his jersey.

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There is also the salary cap to balance at Belmore, with the Bulldogs having little wiggle room as they look to potentially make plays for either Kalyn Ponga or Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, who could both look to leave their current clubs immediately or at the end of next season.

While Burton was linked with the Perth Bears at the end of 2026, a report Gould squashed, it was reported on the Fox Sports show NRL360 on Tuesday evening that the Cowboys are now circling Burton.

“The Cowboys. There are rumours circulating,” reported journalist Dean Ritchie.

“There’s a lot of speculation. I think he might be moved on at some stage in the next year or two.”

The Cowboys have Tom Dearden on their roster, but he has shuffled into the halfback role recently, and it’s clear the club is not sold on Jake Clifford as their long-term number six. Jaxon Purdue is also in Townsville, but has impressed in the centres.

Burton’s potential move to Townsville would be a potential salary cap minefield for the Cowboys, though, who have their own financial issues.

They will, in the coming years, be able to remove Jason Taumalolo’s wage from their books and have already lost Reece Robson for 2026, saving the club significant coin, but it’s still questionable whether they’d have the wiggle room to make a move for Burton.