Kaeo Weekes claims it is "scary" to see what Canberra are building, after the livewire fullback signed a new deal to keep him at the Raiders until the end of 2029.
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See subscription optionsAlready signed with Canberra until the end of 2027, Weekes confirmed a new two-year extension on Friday to make him the longest-signed player at the club.
Struggling for game time at Manly after his 2022 debut, Weekes moved to Canberra last year and has been one of the breakout stars of their rise to the top of the ladder.
After a tough opening month to the season, the No.1 has starred recently, with 23 tackle busts and six line-breaks in the past three games alone.
The 23-year-old said he signed the contract within days of it being presented to him by his manager, with a clear picture of what the Raiders are building.
"As soon as I saw that contract I jumped at it. There is nowhere else I would rather be," Weekes said ahead of Sunday's clash with Newcastle.
"I love this place, I love the team.
"We know there is a high ceiling on a lot of the boys here. It's quite scary to see what a lot of the boys will be able to produce in the coming years.
"Hopefully this is the start, I can't wait."
Weekes' extension comes with Josh Papalii the only member of the Raiders' regular side with their future up in the air for next year.
The veteran prop is believed to be rethinking a move to the Super League, but fitting him into Canberra's cap could be tricky given this year was expected to be his last.
Rival clubs could potentially attempt to lure him away from the Raiders, but Papalii would have to weigh up if it is worth moving his family interstate.
Canberra also appear unlikely to snare Jake Clifford as a replacement for Manly-bound halfback Jamal Fogarty, with the former expected to remain at North Queensland.
The Raiders have young halves Ethan Sanders and Ethan Strange signed until 2027 and 2028 respectively, with hookier Owen Pattie another rising star in the spine locked in until 2028.
"There's a lot of boys that have signed here for a long time and that was a really big selling point for me to stay," Weekes said.
"We're going to build some really big connections, and hopefully the coming years are good ones."
Meanwhile, Newcastle have confirmed centre Bradman Best will miss Sunday's clash against the Raiders with a knee injury.
Australian Associated Press
