Las Vegas: Canterbury super boot Matt Burton is open to chasing a career in the NFL as a punter, saying: “I feel like I could definitely crack it if I was to come over here.”
Burton made headlines last week when he kicked a ball into the roof of the Las Vegas Raiders’ indoor training facility.
Raiders’ NFL players watched the video footage and were quick to point out that it was not a regular occurrence.
“If he wanted to get into this sport, it would be a great story. If he wanted to come over here, someone is going to give him a chance,” Raiders guard Caleb Rogers said.
Burton has one of the biggest kicking games in rugby league, and produced a few towering bombs inside Allegiant Stadium against St George Illawarra during the NRL’s annual season openers in the US.
Off contract at Canterbury at the end of next season, Burton has been linked to the Perth Bears, who enter the league in 2027. NFL scouts have also been in regular contact with his agent, David Riolo. Burton even joked a few scouts may have been watching him on Saturday night (Sunday, AEDT).
Matt Burton launches another towering kick.Credit: NRL Photos
“If something popped up, then I’d look at it – I feel like I could definitely crack it if I was to come over here,” Burton said after Canterbury’s controversial 15-14 win over the Dragons.
“Maybe down the track something might appear, but for now, I love the Dogs.
“I don’t know about [being a place kicker]; it would be as a punter.
“It’s a massive sport. Maybe down the track I’ll give it a crack, but we’ll see what happens. I’d have to study [the technique] a fair bit if I was going to have a decent crack at it.
“I’ve only kicked the gridiron [ball] once at training, and that was when the Super Bowl was on. It went far, but I don’t know, [we’ll] see what the scouts are doing. Maybe they’re watching.”
Australian punters have enjoyed great success in the NFL for more than 20 years, with Michael Dickson playing a major role in the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots last month.
Dickson is the highest paid punter in the NFL. In 2025, he signed a four-year deal with Seattle worth $US16.2 million ($22.9 million).
Burton will be 27 at the end of his Bulldogs’ deal, and the money to be made in the NFL would far outstrip his current $800,000-a-year contract.
Lachlan Galvin was impressive in the first game of the year.Credit: Getty Images
Burton, Lachie Galvin and Bailey Hayward were all impressive in the Bulldogs’ spine in the win over the Dragons, with Galvin laying on the first try with a lovely flat pass that put Jacob Preston into open space.
There is a lot of pressure on Galvin this year after he was criticised for some of his performances in the back half of last season following his messy exit from Wests Tigers.
Burton knows he and Galvin can be “dangerous” with a bit more work improving their combination.
“When Lachie is running the ball, and all our spine is taking the line on, we’re dangerous,” Burton said.
“I think he didn’t overplay his hand; he just did his role.
“They were sending a lot of traffic down his way, and he was handling that. He’s worked really hard on his defence in the off-season. It’s good to show that he can handle himself.
“I think people forget he’s still 20 years old. He’s still got a long way to go.
“I think now we’ve got more time together, it’s only the start.
“I feel like when we get back, and we work on our combination a bit more, we’re going to be dangerous.”
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