Paul Gallen expects to make a decision on whether to extend his NRL career into 2017 before next year's State of Origin series.
The NSW and Cronulla captain this month revealed he was considering playing on into a 17th NRL season after originally earmarking 2016 as his swansong.
Despite a worrying and lingering hip injury, which he revealed caused him to flirt with the idea of hanging up the boots and forced him to miss this year's Origin series opener, Gallen said his body was still standing up to the rigours of the NRL.
Gallen is in the midst of pre-season training with the Sharks - the first time he has joined teammates before Christmas since 2007 - which he predicts will put him in good stead for next season.
He said he expected to know within the first 12 rounds whether next year will be his last in the NRL or whether he will go around again for the Sharks' 50th year celebrations in 2017.
"I've got no doubt in my footballing ability," Gallen said.
"This year I thought I played great every game I played, and that's going to be the same next year, I don't have an issue with that.
"It's just going to be that week in, week out training and whether I'm still enjoying that, which I am at the moment.
"I'll give it the first three months of the season, come round 12, around Origin time, if I'm still really loving it and not having any issues getting out of bed then I'll want to go again."
Another set of tricky negotiations between the Sharks and Gallen beckons should he decide to extend his career.
This year talks with the club's management became drawn out and the two butted heads over whether Gallen would be allowed to make himself available for representative duties.
He eventually signed a one-year contract extension and will be available as Laurie Daley's NSW team strive to win back the State of Origin shield.
Gallen said as long as he was still enjoying playing, he planned to go on, but did so in the knowledge that could change quickly.
"I love the game. I love training," the 34-year-old said said.
"There's not one day that I get up thinking I don't want to go to training today.
"I've spoken to a number of ex-players where they say they got to that stage where they started questioning 'Do I really want to be doing this?' I've never asked that question of myself."
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