Tilse re-signs until 2010

Dane Tilse has become the Raiders latest long term re-signing, after agreeing to extend his contract for a further two years and remain with the Raiders until 2010.

Tilse has been one of the stand out performers since making his top grade debut earlier in the year for the Raiders, and has worked his way into the first grade team with some hard work and strong performances.

Tilse said he is happy that his future has been secured for the next four years, and is grateful for the opportunity he has received with the Raiders.

"The Raiders are a great club and I am thrilled to be remaining here for the next few seasons," Tilse said. "It's a great feeling to have my future settled and I can concentrate on playing some good football with the Raiders for the rest of this season."

Tilse joins fellow Raiders prop Troy Thompson and young halfback Marc Herbert as the first crop of Raiders to be signed up into the next decade, and said he is excited about the future of the club.

"We have a young side here and I think if we can remain together we can be a force in the next few years," he said. "We just need to make sure we stick together and I'm sure we will do well."

Raider's general manager Don Furner said Tilse's on field performances have prompted the club to act swiftly, and make sure they have the towering front rower secured for the future.

"Dane has been an even better player than we thought he would be so we are very happy that he has decided to stay," Furner said. "His ability to get his arms free and off-load the ball is a big plus to our side and we think Dane will play first grade football in Canberra for quite some time."

Furner said the retention policy at the Raiders was starting to gain momentum, and Tilse's inclusion into the future squad will assist in other negotiations.

"We've said all along that the focus will be on retaining our good young players and Dane is the perfect example of this," he said. "I think the players here in Canberra are genuinely excited about the future, and we hope to have them all locked down for as long as we can."