Gold Coast's fan-favourite Anthony Don has knocked back significantly more money from Sydney clubs to stay loyal to the Titans for another two seasons.
The 30-year-old Don, the Titans' Paul Broughton Medal winner as player of the year in 2017, made the decision to stay because he and wife Samantha wanted to stay on the Gold Coast and he believes in the direction the club is headed.
"There were some very generous offers from Sydney but my wife has a permanent job here and we love living on the Gold Coast and I think the Titans are on the way up," Don said.
"In the end, I want to retire on the Gold Coast when I finish playing footy and decided I wanted to be a one-club player.
"I'll be 33 when the new contract finishes and, although I'm not shutting the door, it will almost certainly be my last contract."
Don was 25 when he made his NRL debut in 2013 and admits he is proud of what has eventuated since – 63 tries in 105 appearances for the Titans. He is one of the NRL's best wingers in the air and first-class finisher.
"It is way more than I expected when I was 23 and still playing bush footy," he said of his achievements. "Back then I just wanted to try the next level which was Queensland Cup.
"To play one NRL game has been fantastic and to play more than 100 was beyond my wildest dreams and hopefully I've got another 40 to 50 ahead of me."
Titans coach Garth Brennan said he is glad the Don deal was done.
"I've said before how much Anthony means to this football club," he said. "He is Mr Reliable on that right wing and we all know that each week he will go out there and do his job for the team.
"He is someone the members and fans love and he's a player that I enjoy coaching. You always know what you're going to get, and I can trust him to play his role."
Don's signing leaves just hooker Mitch Rein, who has a one-year option but reportedly wants to extend that to two, and backs Kane Elgey, Brendan Elliot and Tyronne Roberts-Davis as current squad members unsigned for next season.
In other Titans news, prop Morgan Boyle has finally relented to an ongoing shoulder injury and is booked in for surgery – joining fellow young middle man Max King as early finishers to the season.
Boyle, who has had eight NRL appearances this season, aggravated the problem playing for Burleigh Bears in Port Moresby on the weekend.
