Bulldogs veteran Brett Kimmorley admits he's disappointed boom Parramatta five-eighth Daniel Mortimer won't be heading to Belmore, revealing he was looking forward to working with the prodigious 20-year-old next season.
Mortimer, whose father Peter and uncles Steve and Chris starred for Canterbury-Bankstown in the 1980s, rejected a lucrative offer from the Bulldogs on Monday to remain with the Eels until the end of 2013.
"We would have loved to have had him here at our club (because he comes from) a family that's created a Bulldogs legend, but also for him to create a bit of his own legend as well," Kimmorley told Sportal on Tuesday.
"It's disappointing I suppose but the success that Parramatta had would have made it hard to leave. He's a wonderful kid, I've had a small chat to him but 'Kevie' (coach Kevin Moore) gave him a huge wrap, so it's disappointing he didn't come. "
"But he's made a decision that he best suits and I'm quite fine with that."
While there was some speculation the off-contract Kimmorley would have been squeezed out next season had Mortimer decided to jump ship and join the Bulldogs, the veteran No.7 believes the pair could have formed a winning combination.
"Even if he'd come I still was having hopes of being around here as well," Kimmorley, who is yet to make a decision on his future beyond this season, said.
"It just would have meant that I would have been putting a fair bit more work into coaching Daniel into becoming a No.7 I suppose."
"But that's not meant to be so I'll just continue going on now helping Benny Roberts and Blake Green and other guys who will maybe take over."
Pressed on his plans for next season, Kimmorley, who enjoyed arguably the best season of his 16-year NRL career in 2009, replied: "I'm not too sure. I want to make sure I'm still playing to a good standard. If I'm struggling for the first six weeks then I realise that maybe it's time."
"I'd like to just concentrate on footy and I've always said in the past if you're playing good footy then you get rewards. So I'm just worrying about playing good footy and I think that'll just sort itself out."
The 33-year-old was equally coy when asked if he plans to continue his representative career after reclaiming the No.7 jumper for the Blues in Origin III last season.
"I had fun last year, it was really good," he said.
"Game 3 was a wonderful game to be a part of and I think we got some respect back I suppose in the way that Origin's been certainly Queensland-dominated."
"If I'm playing good and I'm confident then I'd like to have a shot at it."
Meanwhile, Kimmorley insists complacency won't be a factor in Saturday's season opener against a Newcastle side missing skipper Kurt Gidley through injury as well as recently sacked forwards Chris Houston and Danny Wicks.
"It's very much a danger game but we've always been very positive about worrying about ourselves," he said.
"If we turn up and play good we think we're a good chance of beating most sides."
"Obviously there's a lot more pressure on us this year than last year but I think our expectations are a bit higher as well."