Gagai opens up on his NRL future beyond 2026.

Veteran Novocastrian centre Dane Gagai says he has no plans to call time on his NRL career anytime soon, declaring he intends to keep playing beyond the 2026 season.

The 35-year-old, who has played more than 300 NRL games and spent the bulk of his career with the Newcastle Knights since 2012 across two stints, is off contract at the end of the year but remains determined to continue.

“I've spoken to my manager, and I'm not planning on stopping, I'm not planning on slowing down,” Gagai told the Newcastle Herald.

“Like I've always said, it's not just playing as long as I can, it's whether I lose the passion for playing the game of footy and competing, or I just can't physically keep up.

“Touch wood, I've never had any operations, body feels good, still moving well around the park, and the passion is still there.”

Gagai, a Queensland and Australian representative, reached the 300-game milestone midway through last season before signing a one-year extension with Newcastle. 

He also secured a life membership at the Red and Blue in 2022 after he surpassed 150 games for the club. 

Gagai began his 16th season in the NRL last weekend when the Knights defeated the North Queensland Cowboys 28-18 in Las Vegas, finishing with the game with 109 metres from 13 runs, five tackle busts and 18 tackles, and a try assist for Dom Young. 

Gagai is one of six Knights players off contract at the end of the 2026 season, alongside Tyson Frizell, Greg Marzhew, Brodie Jones, Tyson Gamble and Wilson De Courcey.

The veteran confirmed his immediate focus remains on Newcastle's campaign, sharing he still believes the squad can challenge for the game's biggest prize.

“I played in a grand final in 2021, and I believe we've got a squad together to put ourselves in a position to compete for one of those spots,” he said.

“So the focus is on 2026, but I'll definitely be playing after that.”

If his future lies away from Newcastle, Gagai's long-standing relationship with incoming Perth Bears coach Mal Meninga could potentially open the door to him being part of the club's inaugural squad.