Newcastle Knights star Bradman Best has delivered a broadside to a departing club official as contract extension negotiations drag on ahead of his Kangaroos debut.
The soon-to-be Test debutant, who will make his maiden appearance for Australia on Sunday night at Suncorp Stadium against Fiji, is expected to command lucrative interest from rival clubs should he not ink an extension before November 1.
The New South Wales centre reportedly knocked back the Knights’ first offer before his side’s one-point grand final defeat, with circling sides including Parramatta tipped to vie hard for his signature. Since that offer, Newcastle’s head of recruitment Peter O’Sullivan has left to take up a role with the Brisbane Broncos, and has been replaced by Anthony Field.
While not directly referencing O’Sullivan, Best quipped tongue-in-cheek: “I know the person who was handling the contracts, a few people were upset, but now he’s gone so hopefully we can get something there done”.
But he insists he is in no rush to cement his future while in camp for the World Cup. The 25-year-old has a young child with partner Kayla Fenech – the daughter of Australian boxing legend Jeff Fenech – and said their future would be at the centre of his decision.
“Obviously, I’m a Newcastle junior, I love it there and have been there since I was a young kid, but I’m a father now, and I’ve got to do what’s best for me,” Best said after training at Brisbane’s Anglican Church Grammar School on Thursday.
“I know November is around the corner, but I’ll just put all talk on hold. I’ll let all the media talk, all the contract stuff will sort itself out, but I’m in no rush.
“My family, making sure we’re settled and happy [will be a priority] … and, obviously, I want to win games. Money isn’t the be all and end all, it goes a long way, but I want to make sure I’m winning.
“I just came off a grand final loss and I want to chase that premiership. Walking away would be hard, I’ve been through the struggles for a long time, and to see where we’ve come now and what we’re able to achieve is special.”
Best paid tribute to his father-in-law Fenech, revealing the four-time boxing world champion was in hospital battling heart problems. The 62-year-old underwent open-heart surgery in March 2024.
“He’s actually in hospital at the moment, so I’m thinking of him, but he’s tough and he’s always a fight. He’s done a lot for me in my career, I was visiting last week, and he’s always given me tips on what to do and how to be better,” Best said.
“It’s special having a father-in-law like that … he’s an icon in Australia, and it’s special having a bond like that. He’ll be all right, he’s been in there with a few heart problems, but he’ll be good.”
Best’s first appearance in the green and gold will mark the end of a dream he inscribed two decades ago, when his teacher asked him to consider where he saw himself in the future.
The fact he will achieve the feat on the same Suncorp Stadium turf in which he has starred in two State of Origin deciders, only this time running out with fans at his back rather than a parochial Queensland Maroons audience, will make the occasion all the sweeter.
“There’s actually a photo going around at the moment when I was in year six. The teacher asked me what I wanted to do, what I wanted to be and to write down your dream, and it was to play rugby league for Australia,” Best said.
“As I got older, I kept working towards it. I hated school and put all my eggs into one basket, and that was rugby league. For the young kids coming through, I’ll always tell them to dream big and aspire to whatever you want to do and whoever you want to be.”
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