Sam Burgess’ glowing character reference played a key role in delivering $4200-a-week bargain buy Matt Dufty to South Sydney.

Dufty has been a revelation for the Bunnies – but it may not have happened had South Sydney great Burgess not put in a good word when coach Wayne Bennett made some inquiries.

The 30-year-old was let go by Burgess and Warrington after Christmas because Dufty’s partner, Meg, was expecting their first child, Margot, and they did not want to return to the UK for the 2026 season.

Wolves decided to honour a large portion of Dufty’s deal, which meant there was no immediate pressure to find an NRL club.

When he runs out against former club Canterbury on Friday night at Accor Stadium wearing the Rabbitohs’ No.1 jersey, Dufty will collect $3000 in match payments, to add to the $1200 he earns each week on what is known as a full-time training wage.

Dufty’s form has been so good that he has kept first-choice fullback Jye Gray out of the starting side.

“I told Wayne the truth,” Burgess said. “I knew all about Matt’s capabilities. He was so awesome for us at Warrington, he’s a wonderful player, he matured in terms of his body – he became a bit more robust – but I knew he’d be able to handle the NRL [again], for sure.

“He’s a very talented player, a student of the game; we got him playing a bit tougher here at Warrington, and that’s helped him [back at Souths].

“We needed to make a decision [about his future] at Warrington. Matt needed that circuit-breaker. For me, it was a hard discussion because we had a great relationship, but I knew he’d handle it the right way. He made some positive changes in his life, and you’re seeing the results of that now.”

Dufty, who started out at St George Illawarra, then lasted half a season at the Bulldogs, before reviving his career in the Super League midway through 2022, said of the South’ lifeline: “When I spoke to Wayne before I came to Souths, he said, ‘I’m going to call Sam for a character reference’. Sam and Wayne have a great relationship, and he gave me a great review.

“Sam and I were painted as enemies in the papers [in England], but we’re good friends – he’s invited to my wedding, and we spoke for 40 minutes the other night.

“A lot of people had my back at the right time when it came to Souths. I’ve known [assistant coach] Ben Hornby since I was 16, and I can’t thank him enough – he was the one who told Wayne in the first place it wouldn’t hurt to look at me.

“The payout from Warrington would have got me through most of the year [financially]. But I wanted to play football because I was coming off some of the best years of my life at Warrington.”

Before Dufty departed the Bulldogs and Australia, he admitted he was one of the most polarising players in the game, saying: “You either really love me or really hate me, there’s no in between.”

When reminded about those comments this week, Dufty said: “I think I’ve matured a bit, and I don’t rub people the wrong way as much. Souths have plenty of big dogs in the team. When you’re younger, you want everything about yourself.

“The older you get, the more you care about winning, and less about yourself. I have a role to play, and I want that trust from the coaches and my teammates.

“I’m not stressed about next year [and not having a deal]. Good football will take care of most problems in this line of work. I’d love to stay at Souths, but hopefully I’ve done enough to get my foot in the dor somewhere.”

Souths still view Gray as their long-term fullback, and need to create roster spots if they are any chance to keep Dufty beyond this season.