Off-contract at the end of the season, St George Illawarra Dragons forward Jaydn Su'A has commented on his future and where he wants to be beyond this year.
A former Queensland State of Origin player, rumours emerged last year that Su'A was said to follow ex-teammate Josh Kerr out of the club and join The Dolphins.
However, the forward has vehemently denied that he wants to exit the club and would "love to stay" at the Red V under new coach Shane Flanagan.
On an approximate salary of $650,000 this season, foxsports.com.au revealed in November that Su'A's management and the Dragons are currently involved in negotiations to extend his stayโthe negotiations are still ongoing between the two parties.
Signing with the club in 2022, he has showed glimpses of his representative best but has struggled with consistency during the tenure and his 2023 season was cut short after not playing following the Round 18 loss to theย Cronulla Sharks.
"I'd love to stay because I love the club. It's been a pretty tough two-and-a-bit years and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel," Su'A told AAP.
"It's a week-by-week thing. I played s**t the other week (against the Dolphins), so it was bad timing.
"It's just important to be winning games and turning up.
"The club won't lose the player that they want to keep. If I'm that player, then I'm sure I'll be here."
Beginning his career with the Canberra Raiders at the young age of 13, Su'A would end up at the Brisbane Broncos (2016-19) under Wayne Bennett before following him to the South Sydney Rabbitohs (2019-21).
Revealing that he remains close to The Dolphins coach, rumours of an exit from the Dragons emerged after Bennett confirmed that he would love to link back up with Su'A in the future.
"I've got the ultimate respect for him. He gave me my club debut, my Origin debut," Su'A said.
"I was struggling in Brisbane when he left and he told me to come down and said he would turn me into the player he knew I could be.
"Two years later I was playing in a grand finals, I was playing in Origin. I have a lot of respect for him and I trust him.
"But no one knows what he's going to be doing and I'm definitely not holding my eggs in that basket."
Su'A has also represented Queensland at the Under-16s level and Under-18s level, as well as captaining the Queensland Under-20s team in his younger days.
