SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 15: Darius Boyd of the Broncos looks dejected after defeat during the NRL Elimination Final match between the Parramatta Eels and the Brisbane Broncos at Bankwest Stadium on September 15, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
After their 58-0 drubbing in the elimination final against the Eels on Sunday, many fans and media pundits called for Broncos skipper Darius Boyd to hang up the boots.
The under-pressure skipper has been in the spotlight all season long after a well below par year for the Broncos, but the 317-game veteran insists he has no plans to retire and fully expects to be playing next season.
"I'm definitely playing on next year," he told The Courier-Mail.
"I need to get better myself. I had a change of positions (from fullback to five-eighth this year), so I think another pre-season there (at pivot) can help.
"Having a pre-season at five-eighth would be good. The last 10 weeks with me and 'Turps' (Jake Turpin) as makeshift halves, we managed to get into finals."
Boyd is contracted at Red Hill until the end of next year and has a clause in his contract that he must play a minimum of 15 games in 2020 to trigger a further 12-month extension for 2021.
When asked whether he would consider finishing off his career in the centres to allow 18-year-old halfback Tom Dearden to resume in the No.7 jersey, Boyd was supportive of the idea.
"I'll talk about that next year, but I've always been a team guy and I will play wherever.
"Whatever happens next year, I'm ready to go."