Canterbury fullback Will Hopoate has attributed his spike in NRL form to a two-month layoff rather than contract negotiations.

The off-contract Bulldogs star is hopeful of having his future sorted in the coming weeks but said it was the injury-enforced break, not contract motivation, that has him running an average of 188 metres per game.

“There’s a few minor key changes on certain lines I run and strength and speed – I worked on that quite a bit while I was off,” Hopoate said.