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South Sydney playmaker John Sutton wants to stay a Rabbitoh for life, but recognises salary cap issues at the star-studded NRL club could spike that ambition.
The gifted five-eighth comes off contract at the end of the coming season, as does halves partner Chris Sandow.
With superstar back Greg Inglis coming on board this year and the likes of Great Britain forward Sam Burgess also commanding considerable coin, there is no guarantee Souths will be able to keep all their longer-standing players like Sutton.
A local boy, Sutton is the longest serving back at the club, having made his first grade debut in 2004.
"I'd love to stay at Souths, but the way things are with the cap these days it's pretty hard to stay a one-club man," Sutton told reporters on Wednesday.
However, he wasn't fearful of being overlooked for a decent deal at the Rabbitohs.
"I'm not really worried about that, I know if I keep playing good football, things will go my way and that's what I'm aiming for," Sutton said.
A City Origin representative, Sutton is striving to add an element of consistency that will sway NSW Origin selectors in his direction.
"I've been a little bit inconsistent over the last couple of years, so that's probably been my downfall," Sutton said.
"Hopefully I'm just playing consistent, good footy for Souths and hopefully get some luck."
The Rabbitohs stalwart acknowledged he had at least one formidable rival ahead of him in the pecking order for the Blues Origin five-eighth jersey.
"Definitely Todd Carney, seeing he was Dally M player of the year last year, he had a tremendous year, he's probably going to get first look," Sutton said.
He was adamant he didn't feel under any extra pressure to deliver, with Souths considered one of the major premiership threats and himself coming off contract.
"It's pretty much the same as last year, we got talked up last year as well, but the only way you get to play finals footy is you win matches," Sutton said.
"So hopefully we just win more matches than we lose and we get there.
"I'm probably feeling fitter and stronger than I have the last couple of years, seeing that I had that neck operation last year.
"I'm confident in what I can do out on the field and I'm just going to back myself."
Tried occasionally at lock, Sutton was adamant he wanted to be a fulltime five-eighth, though coach John Lang was looking to give Sandow more of the playmaking responsibilities.
"I reckon he (Sandow) is going to get probably more ball than he usually gets and hopefully take a bit off pressure off me," Sutton said.
Meanwhile, Souths will welcome back David Taylor and Nathan Merritt when they take on the Gold Coast in Coffs Harbour this Saturday - but Lang is still missing some big names.
There is no sight of major off-season signing Inglis or Sam Burgess, Issac Luke or veterans Luke Stuart and Michael Crocker.
"We've just got to keep improving and hopefully we get some combinations going and come out firing by round one," Sutton added.
http://www.racingandsports.com.au/s...00973&story=Sutton_hoping_to_stay_with_Souths
