Benji Marshall has implored the Wests Tigers to offer a similar long-term deal to coach Tim Sheens after pledging his loyalty to the club for the next six years.
The Kiwi superstar, who turned 25 on Thursday, will see out his career with the joint venture club after agreeing to extend his current contract by four years to take in seasons 2012-15.
And he now wants the veteran Sheens – the only NRL coach Marshall has known – to come on the journey with him.
While not confirming or denying he's had clauses inserted in his lucrative new deal giving him an escape route should Sheens leave, Marshall made it clear he considers the the four-time premiership-winning coach the best man for the job.
Sheens is off contract at the end of the season and, after missing the finals four years running, is no certainty to be retained.
"You only give the coach the sack if there's someone better to replace him and in the game I don't think there is anyone better for the job of coaching the Wests Tigers than Tim Sheens," Marshall said after officially announcing his decision at Taronga Zoo on Thursday.
"I've made the first step in signing for this long and putting myself out there so hopefully that goes a long way towards helping Tim stay."
Sheens joked he would now ask for a six-year deal to match Marshall's offer before emphasising the importance of retaining the match-winning playmaker.
"He's a very important player for the team, that's obvious," Sheens said.
"The team is defined by him. He's one of the key players in the side."
"You talk about Wests Tigers, he's one of those players that you talk about."
"Besides helping us win games and marketing the club – there's a whole spectrum – he's become a leader among the boys."
"He's captained his country, he's won a premiership and he's a leader amongst our team."
"It puts him (up there) as good as any player I've coached."
Marshall, in demand from rival NRL clubs and cashed-up rugby union outfits, said the decision to sign off on such a long-term deal had not been difficult.
He revealed it was a sense of loyalty and longing to be a one-club player – not the cash – that convinced him to stay put.
"The loyalty the club has shown me in the past – I had a lot of injuries and ups and downs in my career – and through the ups they were there and through the downs even more," he explained.
"It's all good trying to get as much money as you can but if you're playing at a place where you're not comfortable you're not going to play your best."
"If you're playing just for money it's not worth playing."
"When you play around guys you're comfortable with, you're are comfortable with the coaching staff, you're comfortable with where the club's going in terms of what they want to do in the future…that's all got to be part of it."
"Being able to sign up for so long with the one club gives you that opportunity for things after football."
"I had to weigh up the pros and cons and the pros definitely outweighed the cons."
"In the end the decision wasn't that hard. It all made sense to me."
"It's a win-win situation for both parties."
Tigers CEO Stephen Humphreys added: "It's a really important signing for us and the game."
"It's news to be celebrated by everyone who loves the game of rugby league."