Don't let the big smile fool you. Hymel Hunt is getting anxious. You can hear it in his voice.
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Despite proving himself as one of the bargain buys of the season in the NRL, Hunt is yet to learn if the Knights are fully committed to keeping him beyond this year. Hunt says there has been no offer of a contract extension yet.
His manager Isaac Moses is telling him to stay calm and just concentrate on playing well each week and it will all work itself out.
But with just four weeks left in the competition before the finals series, that's about the extent of any real assurance he's been given.
The Knights appear in no real rush, presumably because they consider there is no reason for any urgency to get a deal done.
It's the way of the world in the NRL these days. If you are not a player in demand and clubs consider there may be a better option out there in your position, they keep their powder dry and talks are dragged out. But there is such a thing as rewarding players who perform above expectations. Some clubs do it better than others.
In Hunt's case, he joined the Knights at the start of the season on a one year deal reportedly worth just $140,000.
Despite playing 18 NRL games for a South Sydney side that reached the preliminary final last season and was only beaten 12-4 by eventual premiers Sydney Roosters, he was viewed by many at the Knights as a "backline depth" signing when he agreed to come up the freeway.
But along with winger Shaun Kenny-Dowall, they are the only players to have featured in all 20 matches for the club and Hunt is the equal second top try-scorer [with Kenny-Dowall] with eight tries behind fullback Kalyn Ponga [9].
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His value for money can't be questioned. But even after the club parted company with disgruntled centre Jesse Ramien a few weeks ago, it seems there has been little movement on the negotiation front.
The fact the Knights are aware that Hunt and his partner Elli Smith love it in Newcastle and don't particularly want to leave is probably not helping the centre's cause.
"Elli grew up in the eastern suburbs of Sydney in Coogee and she is always saying Newcastle is better than down there so that's a massive compliment to the town," he said. "Happy wife, happy life - angry wife, heaps of strife. That's one of my family's favourite sayings.
"We both really want to stay here so hopefully there is something happening and things work out. I'm letting my manager sort it out and he's telling me to just concentrate on my footy.
"I haven't missed a game and feel like I've been pretty consistent for the team but I'm trying not to let any external noise sort of affect me and affect my footy.
"That's probably the big thing at the moment. Making sure the uncertainty doesn't affect me. There is a big game against the Cowboys coming up so I'm just trying to really focus on that."
Hunt said he had a couple of other signing options at the end of last season before agreeing to make the move to Newcastle but he hasn't regretted the decision despite the side's late season slump that may well cost the club a place in the finals.
"I love what we are building here even though the last six weeks haven't been as joyful as we wanted it to be but I'm sure we will turn it around," he said. "We've got the Cowboys this weekend and we just need to get that win. It would make a huge difference to our confidence which has probably been the biggest thing to suffer over the past month."
As for what a new contract would mean? "If it does get sorted here with the Knights, it would be a massive relief for me. Like I said, I love the area, I love this club, the staff and the playing group especially. "