Blues winger Blake Ferguson is confident he'll have his future sorted in the coming weeks, with the star Rooster revealing he's close to finalising a deal that will see him extend his stay at the club beyond 2017.
The 27-year-old is currently in his third season at the Bondi club following stints at the Sharks and Raiders and has locked down the right wing spot for both his state and country.
Speaking at the Blues' hotel in Kingscliff, Ferguson said the final piece in his contract puzzle was a resolution on the game's next collective bargaining agreement.
"It's pretty close [to being finalised]. The thing that's baulking it is the CBA and all the salary cap stuff. I just want to get it sorted when all that's sorted hopefully in the next couple of weeks," he said.
"I'm happy with all the figures and all that so I just want to be paid what I'm worth. We're just waiting for the Origin series to finish, to be honest, and then we'll see what we can do."
With fellow outside backs Daniel Tupou and Michael Gordon extending their stay at the Roosters this week – and with star Tigers fullback James Tedesco set to join the club next year – Ferguson could have been excused for fearing he would be squeezed out of Bondi.
"Obviously it's in the back of your mind but not really," he replied when asked if he was worried about being moved on.
"I always wanted to stay at the Roosters. It's a club that I love, they've given me an opportunity and I've played all my rep footy here. I've had offers from other clubs and thought about it but every time I think about it, I come back to the Roosters and I'm like 'this is where I want to be'. I haven't really ever wanted to leave, to be honest."
Tedesco's arrival next year is a scary proposition for the rest of the competition, but Ferguson is confident the current back five has what it takes to go all the way in 2017, despite falling 44-12 to the defending premiers last week.
"I think it'll be good getting Teddy over, but this year's still not over. We've got some really good outside backs now and our team is capable of winning the comp," he said.
"A little hiccup on the weekend didn't help us but I think for us, going out there and playing the footy that we know we're capable of [is the key] and we didn't do that on the weekend."
