Stefano Utoikamanu says he intends to stay with the Wests Tigers and that Michael Maguire’s weekend Origin camp rejection has only strengthened his resolve to play for NSW this year.

Utoikamanu may choose to use a contract option to join with another team at the end of this season if the Tigers are unable to advance to the playoffs.

If he participated in a second game for the Blues by the end of 2024, the club’s own provision would have prevented his early departure.

Although the 23-year-old front-rower was flattered by the rumors regarding his future, he made it clear that he wanted to swear loyalty to the team and new coach Benji Marshall.

Utoikamanu told this masthead, “I’m trying to focus on making the top eight, that’s what I want to do – I want to stay at the Tigers.”

“Every minute I’ve spent here has been wonderful. They’ve given me the fantastic chance to develop into the player I am today.

I wish to support the club in return. We’ll watch and see. I haven’t paid attention to conjecture. I’m attempting to put others before myself because Benji is a huge believer in “team first.”

When asked if he could quit before the mid-season cutoff, particularly if the Tigers were out of the running for the championship, Utoikamanu responded, “If something like that did arise, and something happened, my manager would sort it out.”

After making his NSW debut last year, Utoikamanu was left out of the 35-man Blues roster this past weekend. However, he disclosed that he had heard from Maguire, his former Tigers coach, by phone.

“Play good footy and it will all sort itself out,” Utoikamanu stated in response to a phone call from him. He didn’t really say much else, other than that he wasn’t going to put him in the squad.

“Being left out of that squad will only spur me on to play more this year, especially since I participated last year.” I’ll work to regain a berth on that squad.

Tigers captain Api Koroisau stated that the team’s prospects of winning depended on Utoikamanu being around for the rest of the season. “Stef is an important member of the Tigers organization. Koroisau remarked, “Nobody wants to lose someone like Stef.”

We would be happy to keep him, and we would never allow him to leave. It is up to us to enjoy a fantastic year.

At the same time, Utoikamanu expressed his gratitude for the coronial investigation into his close friend Keith Titmuss’s death and expressed the hope that his family will at least have some closure regarding his passing in 2020.

“I feel so devastated, it’s still so sad.” He was among my closest friends, according to Utoikamanu. “I’m really sorry for his family. Their desired answers were not available to them. I really do miss him. I can’t stop thinking about him. A couple years have passed already. That seems like it happened yesterday.