Raiders re-sign Picker

Promising Raiders back-rower Joe Picker has committed to stay in the nation's capital until the end of the 2011 season.

The 2007 Raiders rookie of the year still had a season to run on his contract but the Green Machine waisted little time securing the star of the future's services.

Picker, who played for the Prime Minsters XIII in the recent clash with Papua New Guinea, says he has always intended to stay with the club that gave him his start in the NRL.

"The Raiders have been great to me and gave me the chance to play first grade so I’m really happy that I can stay here for another three years," Picker said.

"I think we're a team on the rise and next year we can improve even more on our efforts this year."

Raiders CEO Don Furner said re-signing Picker was of high priority for the club and another example of the Raiders' commitment to identifying junior talent and bringing them through the system.

"Joe has shown this year what a talented prospect he is and obviously other people see it too after he was selected in the Prime Ministers XIII," Furner said.

"He is also another product of our strong junior development program and it's always great for us when we can keep a local junior in Canberra."