Thompson ready to take pay cut for Manly

Manly back-rower Joel Thompson has declared he’s prepared to take a pay cut to stay on Sydney’s northern beaches, saying money isn’t everything.

The 30-year-old was expected to see out his career in the English Super League, but having been inspired and rejuvenated under coach Des Hasler at the over-achieving Sea Eagles this year, Thompson has done an about-face and says he wants to remain.

“Money’s not everything,” Thompson said.

“If your family is happy and I’m happy, then I’m happy to take less to stay.”

With the Sea Eagles in fifth spot, and in with a chance for a top-four finish, Thompson is in a position he has rarely found himself in during his 12-year career.

“I’d like to stay,” Thompson said.

“I haven’t been around a team enjoying winning like this over my career. I’ve probably been a bit of a coach killer.

“I’ve been at places where the coach has been sacked or we’ve been at the bottom of the table.

“The feeling we have here, it’s hard to leave.

“We were looking at going, but the stuff I’m doing off the field with The Mindset Project, it’s hard to break these connections that I’ve built up over eight years. I’m just really enjoying it.”

Coach Des Hasler will has a difficult job trying to manage their salary cap over the next 12 months or so, with Dylan Walker off-contract at year’s end and quickly-improving centre Brad Parker also looking for an upgrade.

And the club is reportedly set to offer Tom and Jake Trbojevic $1.1 million-a-year and $900,000-a-year respectively when their deals end at the end of 2020.

“Hopefully Manly can keep me here,” Thompson said.

“But I understand if they can’t. They have some players that deserve to be paid well. It is what it is.

“If they could keep me on, I’d absolutely love it.

“I’m happy to sacrifice what I have to to stay on.

“If not I’ll probably have to look elsewhere. It’s hard to leave Oz with the stuff I’m doing off the field and (with) a happy family.

“Body-wise I feel so good, I feel like I wasted a lot of years not training as hard as I should have. And I’ve had hardly any major injuries. I feel like I can get a few more quality years out.”

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