Darius Boyd set to finish his career at the Broncos with a new $4m contract

DARIUS Boyd is set to become Brisbane’s $4 million man with the newly crowned skipper to begin negotiations to finish his career at the Broncos.

Boyd says he has finally found happiness. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

DARIUS Boyd is set to become Brisbane’s $4 million man with the newly crowned skipper to begin negotiations to finish his career at the Broncos.

The Courier-Mail can reveal Boyd’s management will meet with Broncos chief executive Paul White following Brisbane’s season-opener against the Sharks at Southern Cross Group Stadium.

As Queensland and Australia’s No.1 fullback, Boyd could name his price on the open market. But on the cusp of his 30th birthday, Boyd, off-contract this season, has no plans to walkout on the Broncos.

With the salary cap slated to rise as high as $10 million next season, Boyd will seek a four-year extension worth around $1 million annually.

Should the Broncos come to the party, it would keep him at Red Hill until 2021 - and represent the most lucrative deal of Boyd’s decorated NRL career.

Boyd says he has finally found happiness. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Boyd’s worth to the Broncos now goes beyond his on-field contributions. Off it, he is Brisbane’s redemptive poster boy; a once-troubled soul whose stint in rehab gave him the personal development tools that have delivered him to the Broncos captaincy.

“It’s the club I dreamt of playing for since I was six years old. I never wanted to leave in the first place,” says Boyd, who was thrown a lifeline by Wayne Bennett at the Dragons in 2009 after being told he was free to leave Brisbane.

“I’ve found happiness in my life and the Broncos have played a big part in that.

“I could look around but I want to stay at the Broncos. I’m getting to the back end (of his career) so I’d like to sign a new deal and finish my career at the Broncos.”

Finalising the Boyd deal could take months rather than weeks. There will be financial argy-bargy. The Broncos have to retain five-eighth phenom Anthony Milford within the constraints of a salary-cap.

Boyd’s management will explore third-party sponsorship opportunities, plus seek a marquee player allowance given the Maroons custodian is now the Broncos’ captaincy top dog.

The Broncos, leveraging the cheaper cost of living in Queensland, are renowned for driving a hard bargain. They rarely pay overs. But White insists Boyd will not be lost to the club.

“Darius knows the regard I have for him,” White said.

“We are totally committed to Darius and retaining him at our club, but the details of those discussions are between our club and his manager. Our intention is to keep Darius at our club.

“There’s a whole lots of things to consider. People like to put headlines on money but it’s always a challenge for the club to keep the premiership window open while retaining the bulk of the players in our current squad.

“I fully endorsed (coach) Wayne Bennett’s desire for him to be captain and he’s been great for our club.

“I’ve only known him for two years, but from a CEO’s point of view he displays all the qualities you want to see from your captain.”

Boyd is ready to become a real lader for the Broncos. Photo: Mark Calleja

Boyd’s metamorphosis is as remarkable as it deliberate. The brooding, distrusting individual who sneered at media three years ago has been replaced by a friendly, intelligent family man who has found contentment.

Last year, aware he was a contender for the Broncos captaincy, Boyd privately sought help on improving his image. Shy by nature, he asked a media consultant to finetune his public-speaking ability.

His 21-day stint in rehab in 2014 taught Boyd that personal worth and inner-happiness can be a choice.

“To be honest, I wasn’t enjoying life in footy or anything in my life. I am a lot more relaxed now,” he says.

“It’s been a small change but now I am very grateful for everything I have in my life.

“Going to rehab did that for me – it was the best thing I ever did. If it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t be captain today, I wouldn’t be happy.

“I still have my dark times and get angry here and there, but the good days outweigh the bad ones. I now try to be grateful for everything the game has given me and what I get to do as a football player at the Broncos.”

Boyd can relate to the bouts of depression that hit many big-name sporting stars. Once a broken man, he now has methods to sidestep the ‘black dog’.

“I learned in rehab that you have a choice,” Boyd says.

“The key for me is going out and doing something about it. I used to sit down at home and whatever I was upset about, be it a game of footy or media attention or personal issues, if I stayed at home, I’d dwell on it and feel worse 24 hours later.

“Now if I have a problem, I choose to get out and do something. Three hours later, I come home happier having cleared my mind.

“Sometimes it’s a hard choice to put yourself out there when you’re feeling depressed, but just talking to someone or walking the dog can help you mentally.

“I work on it every day to put myself out there and I’m better for it.”

Boyd‘s first test as captain comes this weekend against Cronulla. Photo: Gregg Porteous

Boyd is relishing what he can bring to the leadership post – starting against the Sharks.

“I just want to lead by example, I want to be calm under pressure,” he says.

“In the past I’ve let my frustrations come out sometimes and I’d fall away in games if things weren’t going our way.

“Having the captaincy, it will make me commit to the cause a bit more. I want to show when the chips are down, the leader is standing up ... no matter what the score or what’s happening in a game.”