Matt Burton may find himself out of action for an extended stretch after the talented Bulldogs player sustained a serious knee injury during his team’s match against the Gold Coast Titans on Sunday.
The five-eighth became trapped during a dangerous tackle attempt by Jojo Fifita in the 25th minute, remaining down on the field and visibly in pain.
The buzzing crowd at Belmore fell into a hush as Burton grasped his left knee and was helped off by medical staff.
The Bulldogs later announced that Burton had incurred a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury and would undergo scans to assess the extent of the damage.
The club anticipates he will be sidelined for a minimum of four weeks.
A replay of the incident indicated that Fifita had landed heavily on Burton, placing intense pressure on the playmaker’s knee.
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Matt Burton suffers an MCL injury. Fox League
In a positive development for Bulldogs supporters, the 25-year-old managed to walk off to the tunnel unaided.
“It’s disappointing to hear it’s an MCL injury, but fantastic news that it’s not an ACL,” stated former Bulldogs captain Michael Ennis on Fox League.
On another note, Canterbury winger Marcelo Montoya found himself in trouble after delivering a high tackle on Keano Kini.
Montoya appeared to make no effort to wrap his arms around the young fullback as he rushed in to make a tackle, with his shoulder making high contact with Kini.
The Titans player was clearly in pain as he stood up to play the ball, yet no action was taken against the Bulldogs centre until after he scored his side’s first try.
“His first point of contact was the shoulder, and there was no attempt to wrap the arms,” commented Tigers legend Steve Roach on Fox League.
“He could be facing some consequences for that.”
Marcelo Montoya delivers a high shot on Titans star Keano Kini. FOX Sports
The Titans struggled with mistakes during the opening 20 minutes, allowing the Bulldogs to rack up an impressive 482 running metres compared to the visitors’ 175.
A brilliant step from Jaeman Salmon paved the way for him to score, before hooker Reed Mahoney added to the tally with a try.
Josh Curran also got in on the action, crossing for a try in the 19th minute, while Alofiana Khan-Pereira notched a first-half double.
The Bulldogs held a 22-12 advantage at the break.
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