Luke Burt's massive paycut revealed
PARRAMATTA winger Luke Burt will sacrifice at least $20,000 a year to stay at the Eels with the veteran revealing he accepted a paycut to keep his premiership dream alive.
The 28-year-old appeared to be on the outer last year when Eels CEO Paul Osborne told him to look at his options, but will now finish his NRL career a one-club man after signing a contract upgrade that ties him to the blue and gold until the end of 2012.
The new deal comes just a week after boom playmaker Daniel Mortimer re-signed for two years as the Eels also look to tie up Krisnan Inu and Feleti Mateo.
Burt yesterday admitted he feared he may have been squeezed out of the club, but told The Daily Telegraph he was happy to take a pay cut to stay, though he wasn't keen to play it up.
"I'd rather not talk about the money. But I have [taken a cut]," he revealed. "It wasn't too bad, to be honest.
"I wouldn't have signed unless it was a reasonable deal. It is less [than I was on] but I didn't want to go anywhere else."
Osborne yesterday admitted he feared losing Burt when he approached him last year and warned him he would have to accept less money to remain at the club he debuted for as a 17-year-old in 1999.
The Eels boss hailed Burt's attitude for finishing last year in career-best form that virtually forced the club's hand.
"It would be fair to say midway through last year there were real question marks over his long-term future at the club and he made us all sit down and shut up and he's been rewarded with an upgraded contract," he said.
Burt, who plays his 200th game in Sunday's blockbuster home clash with arch-rival Manly, said he never considered leaving, with the club so well placed for a premiership.
"That's a major reason I wanted to be part of a club that has got that opportunity," he said.
"I think we have the team to push for that in the next three years - this year and the following two.
"It's been pretty elusive and the likes of myself, Hindy and Cayless are looking for it pretty bad so this year would be good."
Burt admitted he had doubts last year that he would stay at the club as he struggled with his form and the Eels signed Timana Tahu to bolster a backline already boasting Jarryd Hayne, Joel Reddy, Eric Grothe and Inu. The re-signing of Hayne and the recruitment of Justin Poore and Shane Shackleton also left him concerned about what funds remained in the Eels' cupboard.
"You've got young fellas like Haynesy and Morts, they're great players," he said.
"You've got to keep them at the club. They are the future."
