That's the conclusion Sporting Declaration has reached after the club's senior player declared this week his intention to play on not just next year but beyond.

Gagai will be 34 by the time the 2025 NRL season kicks off but he remains a Rolls Royce of an athlete.

And it is hard to imagine he will be off contract for much longer, given the case he has already stated for retention.

Gagai's performance in Newcastle's season-opening loss to Canberra was a reminder of what a quality player he has been - and still is.

Despite battling a chest infection in the lead-up to the game, the former Queensland and Test regular carried the ball a game-high 210 metres and made 14 tackles without a lapse. It was a performance that suggested he can continue to keep Father Time at bay for a good while yet.

And the Knights showed as recently as last year, when they re-signed Tyson Frizell potentially for three seasons at the age of 31, that they are willing to show faith in their veterans.

In other words, I'll be very surprised if Gagai and the Knights don't strike a deal. Length of tenure, of course, will be an obvious discussion point, but the Frizell contract - if we are to use that as a possible guide - seemed to offer all parties plenty of flexibility.

And that raises the question of how much longer Gagai can continue.

There are a number of players older than him still plying their trade in the NRL, including Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Jake Granville and Daly Cherry-Evans, all of whom are 35.

In recent times, Cameron Smith (37) and Paul Gallen (38) were still going strong when they hung up the boots, while Steve Menzies played the final five years of his career in Super League before retiring at 39.

I see no reason why Gagai can't do something similar in his dotage. As he told the Newcastle Herald: "I've been very fortunate. I've never really had any major surgeries.

"The biggest one I've ever had was a cleanout of a dislocated pinky [finger].

"So I'm still feeling fit, feeling strong.

"I've always said that once I can't keep up, or I lose the passion for it, that's probably the day I look at retirement.

"But that's still a long way away."

Gagai's career record of 269 NRL games - six for Brisbane, 171 for Newcastle (in two stints) and 92 for South Sydney - stands as testimony to his resilience and consistency.

Since arriving at the Knights from Brisbane in 2012, Gagai has averaged more than 23 games a year for each of his clubs, as well as stringing together 22 consecutive Origin appearances and seven Tests in the green and gold. If he continues at a similar rate, by early next season he will have joined the NRL's exclusive "300 club". Parlay that into his remarkable feats at representative level, and when he does eventually retire, Gagai will deservedly be remembered as one of the game's modern greats.

The only box hasn't ticked yet is an elusive premiership win, having been beaten in a grand final and four preliminary finals. Naturally that remains his Holy Grail.

How long Gagai can continue is anyone's guess, but Knights fans will be hoping he can emulate his father Ray's longevity.

"Dad was 40 when he finished up in Mackay, still playing A grade," Gagai recalled.

"So I'm not sure if it's the Torres Strait Islander genes, if I've got good ligaments, or what it is. But Dad didn't have many injuries, and I've been very fortunate in my career to avoid them. Touch wood."

Since the advent of full-time professionalism in 1995, the sports science surrounding rugby league has evolved exponentially, creating players who have never been faster, fitter or stronger.

Maybe one day there will be a player still running around at 40. He would need to be the ultimate athlete and competitor.

Dane Gagai might be as good a chance as anyone.