Prince wants to remain a Tiger

Wests Tigers captain Scott Prince is keen to secure a new contract deal with the premiers prior to next season's NRL kick-off on March 10.
Prince is off-contract at the end of 2006 but wants to secure a long-term deal with the club.

He will leave contract negotiations until after the World Club Challenge against Bradford Bulls on February 3.

"I want to sort something out by the start of the season, not only for myself but also for the club. I don't want to drag them along,'' Prince said.

"If I stay, the club then knows they don't have to look elsewhere.
If I decide to leave, at least it gives them enough time to get things moving.
"I want to stay at the Wests Tigers, especially now that Benji Marshall has re-signed with the club. It has made it more appealing.

"The Wests Tigers are a great club and it is great to see we are finally achieving things here. Hopefully we can work something out that is happy for both parties.

"I've got to talk to my fianc?e about it. Your family life plays a massive role in the way you turn up each week. If everything is happy at home, it means you can have a great year and enjoy yourself on the field.''

Prince described his 2005 season as a dream year, culminating in him earning an Australian Test jersey against Great Britain in the Tri-Nations Series.

"Winning the competition is a team goal, so that's great for the club, and it was great for me personally to be the captain of the team,'' Prince said.

"To pick up the Clive Churchill medal for player of the grand final and then to be named in the Kangaroo team was a massive bonus.

"The grand final was such a long week. I spoke to blokes like Scott Sattler and Gordon Tallis who had been there before. They told me grand final week is one of the best weeks of your life.
"To me, it was the worst week. I couldn't sleep. I was worried about the game, then I was sick on the Thursday, and then there was the talk about whether Pat Richards would play or not.

"The grand final was one of the fastest games I've played in. It was such a great night and it was just a relief to walk away as the victors.
"The premiership victory was great not only for the club but also for our supporters. You still get your die-hard Balmain supporters and your mad Western Suburbs supporters, so I see the trophy acting as a counsellor in a bad marriage. It has hopefully united them and we can now all be one happy family.''

Prince said the signings of Ryan O'Hara, Keith Galloway, Sam Harris and Jamaal Lolesi would make the side an even more formidable outfit in 2006.
"The beauty about being a successful rugby league team is the ability to attract players who now want to come to the club,'' Prince said.

"Now that we are premiers, teams are going to turn up ready to play and that is only going to improve us as a team and a club.
"Next season is going to be tougher but it is going to bring the best out of us. I'm really looking forward to the challenge.''