The Canberra Raiders have re-signed hooker Kurt Baptiste for two more seasons, keeping him in green until the end of the 2016 season.

Baptiste made his Raiders debut against the Tigers in round 16 and played five consecutive matches for the Raiders, before a shoulder injury prematurely ended his 2014 season.

Baptiste said he’s already working hard on making sure he’s ready for the beginning of the pre-season and said he’s looking forward to the next two years at the club.

“I’ve really enjoyed my first year at the Raiders and getting the chance to play in the NRL again has been a highlight, so I’m excited about signing for another two years,” Baptiste said. “I’ve had shoulder surgery and I’ve started rehab so I’ll be ready to go for the start of next season.”

Baptiste said he’s enjoyed working under Ricky Stuart this season and is excited about the future of the team.

“Ricky’s been great for me and my game and I want to repay the faith he’s shown in me by playing well over the next two years,” Baptiste said. “We have some great players at the club and I’m looking forward to being a part of a successful team and building on our strong culture.”

Raiders CEO Don Furner said the re-signing of Baptiste was great news for the Raiders and said he had earned his new deal with some strong performances at NRL level.

“We actually tried to get Kurt down here in 2013 but it didn’t work out, so it was great to get him for 2014 and now extending him until the end of 2016,” Furner said. “Kurt has certainly showed us he’s an NRL player and before his injury he was playing some great footy.

“We are thrilled to have him remain with the club for another two seasons and look forward to his continued development.”