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Tom Trbojevic's love for Manly is the reason he was happy to accept a $400,000 pay cut to stay at the NRL club.
The champion fullback announced this week that he and the Sea Eagles agreed to a one-year contract extension to keep him on Sydney's northern beaches until the end of the 2027 season.
Trbojevic will earn $1.3million next season, but the terms of his extension will see him take home $900,000 for 2027.
Since winning the 2021 Dally M Medal as the game's best player, Trbojevic has managed only 54 games.
He said earlier this week a one-year extension was the 'best idea'.
'Obviously I've been on a long contract, and it came down to the idea of just playing good footy and earning everything. My footy will do the talking, essentially, and that's what I hope it will do … I just want to back myself,' he said.
Tom Trbojevic has accepted a $400,000 pay cut to stay at Manly out of love for the NRL club
The champion fullback, 29, has endured some injury-riddled seasons and was happy to take a pay cut
Despite again being back on the open market at the end of next season, the 29-year-old said it wasn't something fans should be overly concerned about.
'I didn't really think about it like that,' he said.
'I'm very happy, super excited to be here for another year. It's a special club to me, I couldn't be happier.'
Trbojevic's contract negotiations have been a talking point for some time after it was reported he could end up playing in England after talks with Manly stalled.
Arguably Manly's greatest ever fullback, Trbojevic admitted he told his manager to look at different options, but wasn't 'too close' to leaving.
'When it came down to making the decision, I love this club. We got something on the table, came to an agreement. I have brothers there as well, so it would have been very hard. I couldn't see myself doing it,' he said.
Trbojevic has never been one to squeeze as much money out of Manly as possible despite clearly being the club's best player.
He previously volunteered to take a pay cut of up to $750,000 due to the guilt he felt after missing so many NRL games while injured.
At his best, Trbojevic won a Dally M medal in 2021 and dominated at State of Origin level for the NSW Blues
Trbojevic wanted to take a pay cut out of guilt for missing so many NRL games due to injury
The salary cap auditor knocked back his request, however.
In a possible look into his playing future, Manly shifted Trbojevic from fullback to the centres a few times this year in a bid to take the workload off his injury-prone body.
And while Lehi Hopoate is a young fullback on the rise, Trbojevic expects to be wearing the No.1 jersey when Manly takes to the field in round one next March.
'As far as I'm concerned, yes, but I'm happy to do whatever is best for the club,' Trbojevic said.
The development comes as Manly recently tweaked their football department, with club great Kieran Foran and Melbourne Storm premiership-winner Brett Kimmorley added to the coaching staff to support Anthony Seibold.
Trbojevic is confident the Sea Eagles can be a premiership contender next year after struggling in the back half of last season to finish 10th.
He said the squad needed to find more consistency to trouble the top NRL sides.
'Our best footy is very good, but another year together and the playing group gets better and more experienced,' he said.
'We have the potential to be a good footy side, but it's about doing that…you play to win a comp. I want to be my best self, play some good consistent footy.'
