Newcastle Knights star Bradman Best says he is in "no rush" to ink a fresh deal with the club as he prepares for a hostile sudden-death final across the ditch against the New Zealand Warriors.
Best is approaching the November 1 mark, where he is free to negotiate with rival clubs for a 2028 contract.
The 25-year-old centre has established himself as one of the best attacking strike players in the competition, building a reputation for stepping up in big matches.
It includes being crowned the Suncorp specialist, winning two deciders in Brisbane for the NSW Blues, while also currently in Australian Kangaroos talks for the upcoming World Cup.
But Best insists he will be taking his time before making a call on his long-term future in the NRL.
"Obviously there's a fair bit of talk going on with that November 1 around the corner," Best said to 9NEWS.
"I'm not worried. For me, I'm in no rush. I just wanna play good footy here first and do something special with the lads here."
The Knights face a formidable task in Week 2 of the finals, dealing with a New Zealand Warriors outfit coming off a loss and looking to bounce back in front of what is set to be a record crowd at Eden Park.
But if we know anything about Best, these are the pressure moments he relishes.
"That'll be my mentality. The big moments matter, so just taking those opportunities when they come and leading from the front," he said.
The club's turnaround over last summer has been nothing short of outstanding, going from wooden spooners to genuine premiership threats in a short space of time under new coach Justin Holbrook.
The novocastrians have also had to overcome a horrific injury toll in 2026, further cementing their admiration from the rest of the competition.
From their first match in Las Vegas in Round 1, the Knights looked a completely different outfit that won only six times last year.
"It's been a special year. From where we were last year and to where we are now, it's been a good year so far, and we're not done," Best added.
The Knights have been without star recruit Dylan Brown and NSW representative Dylan Lucas for a big chunk of the season, while Jacob Saifiti was wiped from the finals after a season-ending suspension two weeks ago.
Led by skipper Kalyn Ponga, the Knights pulled off an upset against South Sydney on Friday to progress into the semi-finals.
They will face the Warriors on Sunday at 4:05pm (AEST).
