Newly re-signed Roosters centre Shaun Kenny-Dowall admits he was close to leaving and took a pay cut in the hope of becoming a one-club NRL player.
The Roosters announced the 27-year-old had signed a two-year extension with the club on Monday, a deal that will see him stay in Bondi until the end of 2017.
The New Zealand international is now likely to end his career with the club he made his debut with in 2007.
"It's a fair reality now. I'll be 29 when I come off contract. Until then, I'll reassess the situation in two more years," he said.
Kenny-Dowall was linked to a number of clubs, including St George-Illawarra and the Super League, and conceded that there was a genuine possibility of moving elsewhere.
"You have to keep your options open around contract time so it was a pretty fair reality," he said.
"I'm just relieved to get the deal done and have my future secured.
"It's a special day for me. I get to stay at the club I love for another two years.
"It was a pretty tough time. Contract time can be pretty stressful but I've been here since I was a 16-year-old boy, almost half my life. So it would've been very tough to see myself in other colours."
Kenny-Dowall also said that competing for another trophy - he was in the club's premiership-winning side in 2012 - was a major factor in taking less money to stay a further two seasons.
"The Roosters have got a good culture building and a great coach who knows how to get the best out of me," he said.
"We're building something pretty good and we're going to be competitive so that was the main factor for me."
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