Matt Burton heads to Perth as Bears prepare marquee pitch

Matt Burton and his family will travel to Perth on Sunday as the Bears prepare a pitch to make him the club's first marquee signing. Perth are weighing up a deal worth up to $6 million that could run for as long as five years. Using their salary cap exemption, which lets one player earn 20 per cent of his salary off the books for the next three years, the Bears would guarantee Burton at least $1.2 million a season, making him their first million-dollar player. Coach Mal Meninga's pitch will centre on Burton becoming the face of the club and on making the move comfortable for his young family. The Bulldogs haven't ruled out trying to keep him, but Burton would have to give up almost $400,000 a season to stay.

By Brent Read, Michael Carayannis, CODE Sports — read the full story