Darius Boyd must play more than 15 games next season to trigger his career extending into 2021, as per his contract signing in 2017.

The Broncos skipper signed a four-year extension two years ago, which would see the 32-year-old remain at the club until the end of the 2021 NRL season.

However, it appears the extension wasn’t merely as straightforward as that.

According to The Courier-Mail’s Peter Badel, the first two years of Boyd’s four-year extension were guaranteed, but that contractual obligations and trigger clauses were placed into the agreement following those first two seasons, which is typically the process undertaken for players entering their twilight years.

Boyd was 30 at the time of the extension.

The former Queensland representative will need to play more than 15 games in 2020 if he is to be eligible for a farewell year in 2021, as was originally the plan.

If Boyd fails to reach the 15-game quota, then he will technically be out of contract with the Broncos.

In that scenario, the Broncos would be able to choose not to re-sign their captain, freeing up around $700,000 worth of space in the salary cap in the process.

Speculation has been rife this season over Boyd’s future, with the 32-year-old receiving scathing criticism over his form this season. It has lead to many questions over his mortality in the game, even though Boyd intends on playing on in 2020.

According to Badel, the Broncos are intent on making sure that any eventual parting of ways will be managed carefully and with respect, seeking to ensure that any departure as a player isn’t in acrimonious circumstances.

The club is prepared to offer Boyd a role within the Broncos following the end of his playing tenure, working for the club in the mental health landscape – an area that Boyd has been closely working in over the last year.

The Broncos will be looking to notch up their third consecutive win when they clash with the Rabbitohs on Friday night.