TOM Lineham admits his future lies away from Warrington Wolves.
However, he is keen to go out in the best possible fashion and says leaving with a Grand Final winners' ring would be "magical."
The winger is one of a clutch of first-team players out of contract at the end of this season and he has not been offered a new deal to remain at the club when Daryl Powell takes over as head coach next year.
It means the 28-year-old's sixth season at The Halliwell Jones Stadium will be his last and as he gets further into his career, the Yorkshireman says he is keen to settle down closer to home.
"It’s a very strange situation with a completely new coaching staff coming in," he said.
"If Steve was staying and he’d have said to me that he didn’t want to keep me, we’ve worked together for a long time and know each other personally so that would hurt more.
"There’s a new coach coming in who doesn’t know me and hasn’t worked with me, and one man’s medicine can be another man’s poison.
"If he prefers another style of winger to me, that’s life.
"With what’s happening at the club, what better way to go out than to win the trophy that’s always eluded us in your final game? That would be magical.
"Warrington’s not home for me – I’m from Leeds and started my career at Hull.
"I moved over to Warrington and I’ve had a great time and met some great people, but I’m not going to settle, have a family and buy my forever home up here. I’m getting to the back end of my 20s now and it’s time to start the next chapter of my life.
"All I want to do is bow out with the big one – that would be absolutely fantastic."
With his future lying elsewhere, Lineham is free to negotiate with other clubs about a deal for 2022 and beyond – a process that is ongoing.
However, he feels he is making a conscious effort to shake off something about his game that may put off potential suitors.
At the start of 2021, Lineham picked up a three-match ban for striking off the ball during April's Challenge Cup win at Championship side Swinton Lions that took his number of matches missed through suspension since joining Warrington to 17.
Now, though, he knows the best way of securing his own future is to put in continued good performances in a Wire shirt as he looks to cherish the time he has left working with head coach Steve Price.
"I didn’t feel I was in a position to negotiate with the suspensions," he said.
"We’ve got some big games coming up. The best form of negotiation is good performances so I’ll look to continue to do that.
"Myself and Steve have got 103 days left together.
"When he made his announcement that he was leaving, I felt I could walk around kicking stones or I could cherish every moment which is what I'm doing. I’ve got a little countdown timer on my phone so I can keep a track of it.
"It’s a unique situation at the club and it could be very special if we go on and achieve great things."
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