For any player contract negotiations hanging over their head is never a settling feeling.
nib Newcastle Knight Sione Mata'utia can agree after a lengthy period to get his contract sorted, his future finally has a bit of security.
This week the talented utility signed a contract extension to remain at the Club for a further three seasons.
It's something he's been wanting for a while; the Knights being all Mata'utia's known since joining the ranks as a junior.
And it's been no secret the young Knight has wanted to remain a one club man, here in sunny Newcastle.
"It's a big weight lifted off my shoulders, definitely looking forward to the next three years. I'm really happy that I'm staying in Newcastle," Mata'utia smiled.
"The contract doesn't make me play any differently, I still play the same game. I play for the boys beside me, for the jersey and the town.
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"The contract is just an added bonus for all the hard work I have been putting myself through."
Not knowing where his future would end up may have been daunting for the 22-year-old but Mata'utia knows that's all part and parcel of playing footy.
"It happens to many players in the game at the moment, it is just part of the business," Mata'utia commented.
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"You've just got to go through it and hopefully the decision that you want happens. I wanted to stay in Newcastle with Browny (Nathan Brown) and Mooney (Darren Mooney) and the staff made that possible and I couldn't be more grateful for that."
While the Knights centre maintained a run of head knocks may have played a part in the delay of contract discussions, he's thankful for the Club's patience to keep him in the red and blue.
"Fingers crossed no more for the future, but it's been good so far, I had three months off in the pre-season of contact and I felt that was a big decision that helped to shape where I am now," he said.
"I've had a few bumps in the past games and have come up pretty good so that is a positive sign and big thanks to the medical staff and the physios at the Club, they played a big hand in getting me there."
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Refining his tackle techniques to ensure head knocks are limited.
"Some of them you just can't help and its just part of the game, it's an accident, and you just try and do your best to move on," stated Mata'utia.
"You've got to see what's going wrong, especially with me having so many consecutive knocks, so I had a chat with Browny and we went through some video.
"There was some tightness in my neck that was probably an issue, we got into that and I haven't had one since then, so you can't be too safe."
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