The ball is in the Best court.
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That's how Knights chief executive Philip Gardner summed up the contract negotiations with star centre Bradman Best, who is weighing up a multi-year extension offer from the club.
Speaking on Wednesday after a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark Newcastle Permanent as the inaugural naming-rights partner of the club's Broadmeadow training facility, Gardner said he expected a deal with Best to soon be agreed but warned the club would be standing firm on its financial offer to keep the home-grown star.
Best has been courted by Wests Tigers, and Gardner said the 22-year-old had attracted a "huge amount of interest ... as you'd expect", but he was confident the Woy Woy junior would re-sign.
"Bradman is one of ours and we love 'Braddy'," Gardner said. "We love the family, they're connected and we've brought him through the system.
"But the game of rugby league is all about what you can afford in the [salary] cap, regardless of that, and we've made mistakes in the past where we've overpaid, and if you overpay for any player - it hurts you down the track.
"It's a very fine balancing act. We think the deal we've offered Bradman is right at the top of where it sits.
"I think Bradman would agree with that.
"We're certainly not undervaluing him. We've shown him the respect he deserves in this and we're hoping he signs soon."
Best, who essentially became a free agent on November 1, has said on multiple occasions throughout this year that he is keen to re-sign with the Knights.
Asked what was delaying the NSW Origin representative inking a new contract, Gardner said Best's recent change of management had drawn the process out longer than he would have liked.
But as it stands, he added: "We're not an impediment to getting it done."
Pressed later in the day about the situation, Best - who is coming off the strongest season of his career, scoring 13 tries in 25 NRL games and making a stunning two-try Origin debut - indicated that he would likely make a decision before Christmas.
"A decision will obviously be made. I don't really want to be in a rush, but I don't want it dragging on as well," he told the Newcastle Herald.
"Hopefully before Christmas. I think another two, three weeks, I think we'll have a decision before then because I want to go into the new year with certainty and my decision sorted.
"It's all in the works. My manager is dealing with that, the club is talking and I'm sure we'll come to an agreement."
Meanwhile, Gardner said the club was in the final stages of interviewing for a new NRLW coach and an appointment would likely be made next month.