Melbourne Storm co-captain Dale Finucane is reportedly set to shun lucrative offers elsewhere to remain in Victoria for less money.
As reported byย Wide World of Sports' The Mole,ย Finucane is tipped to reject deals to return to New South Wales that would pocket him significantly more money than what the Storm can table.
The veteran forward has been previously linked to a host of keen rivals, with the Bulldogs, Sharks, Dragons, Tigers and Cowboys all understood to be keen on acquiring Finucane's services and experience.
The Storm are currently battling with little flexibility in their budget, with a new deal for superstar fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen in the works and seen as a priority.
Melbourne are also likely to seek a new long-term deal for gun hooker Harry Grant, who's deal with the club expires at the end of next season.
RELATED:ย Storm hold meeting with Bulldogs gunย
While Finucane has previously flagged he would be considering all options for the future, his manger Andrew Purcell has toldย WWOSย that his decision won't be monetary.
"You have to look at the big picture and Dale fully understands that," Purcell said.
"He could go to a battling club and get a big payday, but would he be happy in the long run?
"He loves it in Melbourne and could be playing his seventh grand final this year - how many players in the modern era can say that?
"They want to keep him and it's just a question of waiting and seeing what they come up with."
The 29-year-old is now backed to remain in Melbourne for at least another season, with the club also welcoming Origin winger Xavier Coates from Brisbane.
The Storm will lose gun trio Josh Addo-Carr (Bulldogs), Nicho Hynes (Cronulla) and Brenko Lee (Brisbane) from next year, while the future of Craig Bellamy remains a mystery.
Finucane has played 143 games for the Storm since arriving from Belmore ahead of the 2015 season, where he started his NRL career and played 66 matches in the blue and white.
