https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...l/news-story/89b83fca9dd881c916ed049fd7abb82a
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’.
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.
“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.
“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.
“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.”
