The rift between Penrith and Canterbury over the immediate future of Dubbo product Matt Burton seems set to widen after the two clubs once again failed to come to an agreement.
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Burton, who remains contracted with the Panthers through to 2022, is at the centre of the drama after the Bulldogs made repeated overtures to the Panthers in an attempt to secure the young gun's skills for the upcoming season as well.
A Penrith counter-offer suggesting a swap for Origin prop Dylan Napa is understood to have gone nowhere, per a report from NRL.COM.
Penrith coach Ivan Cleary, who recently named another Dubbo product to co-captain in the form of Isaah Yeo, told NRL.COM that there didn't seem to be a 'realistic' path forward for the two clubs to come to agreeable terms.
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It's believed the St John's product will operate as a fill-in centre and utility in the upcoming season for the Panthers, with Penrith looking for replacements for their forward pack after losing James Tamou and Zane Tetevano.
"I've said all along that Matt's a really valuable member of our squad," Cleary said.
"We really value him as a person and a player. If you keep getting asked which we have, they keep asking the question, I suppose there's always something that might make a deal happen.
"But realistically there hasn't been so I'm not too sure what all the fuss is about."
While Cleary acknowledged that the Napa offer could have seen Burton depart the mountains early for Belmore, he also said that it never seemed like a probable outcome.
"Matt's part of our team and there's never been any inkling he's going to leave," Cleary told NRL.COM.
"If you keep getting asked, of course you throw out something that may make a deal happen, but I don't think that was ever going to happen.
"There was just a bit of talk there but nope."
Yeo is also in the middle of contract negotiations at the moment, with the 148 game Panthers veteran now the longest serving player at the club.
Both he and Cleary are targeting a lengthy extension for the Dubbo product and newly minted co-captain.
"We're going through all that at the minute," Yeo told NRL.COM.
"That would be the goal, to be a one-club player but that only happens as you get older.
"I'm not worried about that, I'm worried about this year and trying to get my next contract sorted over the coming weeks. I'd like it all done before the season starts and that'll be the plan."
"This next contract will take me to 30 and if that's the case I definitely will be a senior player by then."
