The Canberra Raiders have received a huge boost heading into the second half of the season, with Head Coach Ricky Stuart re-signing with the club until the end of the 2020 season.

The new deal is a two-year extension on his current contract with the Raiders and will extend his tenure as Head Coach to seven seasons since taking over the position at the beginning of the 2014 season.

Canberra Raiders Chairman Dr Allan Hawke said the re-signing of Stuart as Head Coach was a significant moment for the club and would provide stability for the whole organization moving into the next three years.

“The Raiders board met recently to discuss extending Ricky’s current contract and we’re delighted to announce that we voted unanimously to extend his contract until the end of the 2020 season,” Dr Hawke said. “Ricky has developed a wonderful culture in the club since arriving as Head Coach and has helped the team become a more consistent and competitive team.

“Re-Signing Ricky as Head Coach gives us stability and will also assist in the continuation of re-signing our playing group into the future which we’ve already commenced.”

Raiders Coach Ricky Stuart said it was an honour to coach the Raiders and said the club would continue to strive for success into the future.

“When I first arrived at the club I mentioned that it was a privilege to have the opportunity to coach the Raiders and I feel still that today,” he said. “I’m encouraged by the commitment and the drive for success we have in the club and we’ll continue to work hard to achieve the high standards we set for our club.”

“The club has a lot of stability at the moment which is very important and I’m confident we can continue to work through re-signing a number of players into the future.”