Superstar Knights centre Bradman Best has fired a parting shot at the club’s former head of recruitment Peter O’Sullivan over his contract situation, suggesting a deal might get done now that the veteran administrator has left Newcastle.

Best is set to make his Kangaroos debut this weekend against Fiji at the World Cup, but most of the interest was on his future.

The strike centre still has a year to run on his deal but confirmed he will head to free agency on November 1 to test his value, with rival clubs led by the Eels to go hard at the rep star.

Best, 25, is one of the best centres in the NRL and is fresh from a grand final appearance with the Knights.

The club is building something special, but Best has a young family now and needs to make sure they are financially secure going forward.

Best has played his entire eight-year career at the Knights and indicated that O’Sullivan – who made great moves at the Knights but is now off to the Broncos – may have held him back from re-signing.

“My family (is what drives me) and making sure that we’re settled and happy. I’m a father now so I’ve got to make sure we’re happy and healthy,” he said.

“But I also want to win games. Money isn’t the be all and end all, but it goes a long way. I want to make sure that I’m winning games. I’ve just come off a grand final loss, and I want to chase that premiership.

“Walking away (from Newcastle) would be hard. I’ve been through the struggles for a long time, so to see where we’ve come now and what we were able to achieve was special. I know the club is heading in the right direction.

“I know there are a few of us lads at Newcastle coming off contract. I know the person that was handing out the contracts, a few people were upset (with him). But now he’s gone, so hopefully we can get something done.”

“I’m a Newcastle junior, I love it there and I’ve 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.

“I’m here in camp and I’m worrying about this. I know that November is around the corner, so I’ve put it all on hold, so obviously I’ll be going to November 1.

“All the media talk and contract stuff will sort itself out. I’m in no rush (to sign). I think half the boys here are off contract so all the boys are talking about it.”

Best is one of several fresh faces in the Aussie side to face Fiji, with the big-game hero set to live out a childhood dream that he told a teacher when he was at school.

“It means everything,” he said, with Best looking up to his father and legendary centre Greg Inglis as his footy heroes.

“There’s actually a photo going around at the moment when I was in year six. The teacher asked us what we wanted to do and what we wanted to be and to write down your dream.

“(For me) it was to play rugby league for Australia, so ever since I was a little kid I’ve been dreaming of this. It’s pretty special and it’s surreal.

“I truly believed it as a young kid and that’s why I wrote it down because that’s what I wanted to do. As I got older, I kept on working towards it.

“I hated school and put all my eggs into one basket which was rugby league. So for all the young kids coming through, I tell them to dream big and aspire to be whatever you want to be.”

Originally published as ‘But now he’s gone …’: Bradman Best fires parting shot at former Knights official as he confirms November 1 decision