Newcastle coach Adam O'Brien insists co-captain Jayden Brailey won't be leaving the club early as the Knights table a contract extension for Phoenix Crossland.
Crossland is expected to turn down the chance to test his value on the open market on November 1 and commit to a new Knights deal to the end of 2026.
The 23-year-old enjoyed a breakout season filling in at hooker for Brailey, who has been sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Crossland's emergence as a bona fide No.9, coupled with Brailey's fitness troubles, has led to speculation the latter may be granted an early release from the last year of his deal.
Shane Flanagan's St George Illawarra have been linked with a move for Brailey but O'Brien is adamant he wants the hooker to work in tandem with Crossland.
"Jayden Brailey and Daniel Saifiti are at the club and will not be leaving," O'Brien told AAP at last week's Dally M awards.
"With Kurt Mann leaving, Phoenix is the perfect foil. He can play at lock, at hooker and in the halves, he's in our best 17 every week."
Crossland's rise this year had led to calls for him to be brought into the New Zealand Test squad for this month's Pacific Championships, but his Kiwi debut has been put on hold after he succumbed to a medial collateral ligament injury.
O'Brien said the club was working hard to extend the stay of Jacob Saifiti and Bradman Best before November 1, when they would become free to field offers from rival clubs.
The Knights coach is keen to start next season with a bang after Newcastle surged into the 2023 finals on a run of 10 games undefeated.
"The exciting thing was filling that stadium and that gives us a vision to aspire to next year, to recreate that," he said.
