Jarryd Hayne has given the Titans a massive boost by agreeing to stay at Gold Coast in 2018.

Hayne, who scored a try for New South Wales in their stunning 28-4 win over Queensland in State of Origin I on Wednesday night, had been linked to a move back to Sydney.

But with a deadline about his future looming, the 29-year-old told Titans officials shortly before the Origin clash that he would be taking up his option of a $1.2m deal with them for next season.

Titans CEO Graham Annesley said: “We are delighted with the decision and it’s fantastic news for our club. He’s a great player and he’s still got it. There are some doubters who question his ability to perform at the top level, but I think he silenced them with his display in the Origin game. We can now look forward to him reproducing that kind of performance with us.”

Annesley insisted he had not been worried about ongoing reports that former Parramatta star Hayne was considering a switch away from the Titans.

“He’s happy with us and I think he quite likes being out of the Sydney goldfish bowl,” he explained. "Any player in the NRL would be silly not to explore their options, but I was always confident that he would stay.

“I’m sure there would have been enormous interest in Jarryd (from other clubs), but he has decided to stay with us and that is a tremendous vote of confidence.”