Daily Telegraph Sports Edtior-at-large Phil Rothfield hails NRL players who knock back big dollars to stay loyal Todd Carney has signed a new deal with the Sharks. Picture: Peter Lorimer Source: The Daily Telegraph WHO said loyalty was dead in rugby league? Todd Carney yesterday rejected one of the biggest offers in the history of the game to stay with the Cronulla Sharks. Johnathan Thurston did the same with the Cowboys earlier this year, knocking back Phil Gould and his fat chequebook at Penrith. Jamie Lyon could have walked out on Manly and become one of the game's highest-paid players on the Gold Coast. Johnathan Thurston knocked back a mega-offer from Penrith to remain at the Cowboys. Jarryd Hayne could have named his price anywhere but did a new deal at Parramatta. So, too, did Robbie Farah at the Wests Tigers. Mitchell Pearce knocked back a squillion from the Dragons to stick by the Roosters. Blake Ferguson stuck solid just this week with the Canberra Raiders. Eels star Jarryd Hayne could have named his price but re-signed with Parramatta. Three Bulldogs stars, Josh Reynolds, Frank Pritchard and Aiden Tolman, all had offers but stayed at Belmore. Loyalty died in the Super League war in the mid to late 1990s. For a couple of years, players went wherever the money was. When that dried up, the English Super League, the Wallabies, French and Japanese rugby union and even the AFL stole our elite players. Money was No.1. Nothing else mattered. Until 2013. Club loyalty is back. The jersey, colours and camaraderie mean something.Carney could have gone to the Warriors under his old coach Matt Elliott for $1 million a year. Instead, he has repaid his coach Shane Flanagan for the belief he showed in him two years ago. Sacked by the Roosters, few other clubs wanted him. Flanagan not only gave him a start but gave him his life back. Wests Tigers captain Robbie Farah has opted to stay put. No booze bans or curfews. Just trust. Still, it could have been tempting for him to leave. The ASADA crisis has hurt the Sharks like no other club.There is more stability under a new board and big sponsorships are imminent. Carney stayed because he has faith in the future. Long live loyalty.