Raiders re-sign Picker



The CFMEU Canberra Raiders have continued to sure up their local talent, after exciting back row forward Joe Picker announced today he would be remaining in green until the end of 2011.

Picker, 20 who was named Raiders rookie of the year in 2007, has had a rapid rise through the grades at Canberra and was elevated to representative honour's recently when he traveled to Papua New Guinea to play for the Prime Ministers XIII.

Originally from Bigga in NSW, Picker said he always wanted to make sure he had the chance to remain in Canberra and said he was looking forward to some exciting times with the Green Machine.

"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 Picker was high priority for re-signing by the club and said it continued the Raiders policy on 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."

Furner said Picker was originally contracted until the end of 2009, but his form warranted an early contract extension.

"We always knew Joe would be a first grade player of the future and he's always been in our plans for the future," he said. "We wanted to make sure we locked him away before any other clubs had the chance of trying to get him."

Furner said he was also working through the re-signing of Joe's younger brothers Michael and Ben.

http://www.raiders.com.au

great news

very happy to hear this!

Great news

Well done management.

Awesome. Best news since Tuesday morning.

Awesome news

Holding the talent we have atm together, the way management has, is a huge step towards winning another premiership.

Very happy, good work Joe

Awesome news, he has a bright future.

Great news again!

We don't need to sign rep quality talent if we keep producing and retaining it. Previous years we have seen players come through the juniors then leave for another club and go on to play origin or tests. Lets hope that Joe can continue his rise to that level.

Great news

Great news! I am betting he will cost a fair bit more to keep by the time he is next off contract.

Super news. He's the next Bradley Clyde. I hope they have paid him plenty.

Raiders re-sign Picker for three

THE Canberra Raiders have re-signed forward Joe Picker on a new three-year deal that will see him stay with the club until the end of the 2011 season.

The Raiders 2007 rookie of the year has risen through the grades at the Raiders and recently had his first taste of representative *'s when he travelled to Papua New Guinea to play for the Prime Ministers XIII.

20-year-old Picker said he was happy to be able to continue to wear the green jersey.

“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 Picker was a high priority for the club and continued their policy on identifying and developing junior talent.

“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 *'s always great for us when we can keep a local junior in Canberra.”

Picker was originally contracted until the end of 2009 season.

The club also confirmed they were working on re-signing Joe's younger brothers Michael and Ben.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,865 ... 14,00.html

yay, great stuff

Great news!!!

This reeks of awesomeness, I love the Nose

After some extremely dubious decisions by Management earlier in the year (Carney, Withers, Best, Dobson in hindsight... etc) it is very reassuring to see them make some good choices, especially when it comes to our young, up and coming talent. This can only be good for our future.

They have been doing well on the re-signing front of late.

Our relative success in the comp this year will have helped no end...people want to be part of something special...and there's a feeling something special is building at the club.

Agree but I hope he goes through his career with less injuries and he also gets to leave our club in better circumstances.

If its a 3 year deal until 2011 it means they must of upgraded him early, as he wasnt off contract. Good to see him getting rewarded for his performance this year.

Picker signs for another three years

Canberra Raiders back rower Joe Picker enjoyed plenty of highlights in his second NRL season.

Picker missed just one first grade game, featured in the Raiders’ final against Cronulla and represented Australia in the Prime *'s XIII in Papua New Guinea.

Yesterday he added than to that list of highlights when he extended his contract with the Raiders until the end of 2011 taking another step towards his goal of remaining at the club for his entire career.

But despite all the impressive personal achievements the 20 year *'s best moment of the season didn’t even involve him directly.

For him it was watching younger brother Mick put on the winning play in the Raiders’ Toyota Cup premiership Toyota Cup premiership victory over Brisbane last weekend.

“Personally the highlight would probably be the Australian game, that was pretty special being my first senior representative jumper” Picker said.

“But I was probably more excited when Mick won the grand final than I was when I got named for Australia, that was just awesome.”

Picker has been negotiating a contract extension with the Raiders for several weeks.

He was initially contracted for next season with an option for the following year.

Despite receiving some interest from rival clubs, the Bigga product said a longer contract in Canberra had always been the goal.

“*'s close to home which is one of the biggest bonuses for me and I love the place. *'s choc a bloc full of good people and I reckon its just going to keep going forward with David Furner there as head coach now. It will be good to get back to training and just concentrate on that without worrying about contracts.”

The Raiders are continuing to negotiate with the younger Picker brothers Mick and Ben in the hope of keeping all three at the club for the long term.

Mick is contracted for next season, while Ben, 16, remains without a contract for 2009.

Picker hoped both would remain at the Raiders.

Picker has now set himself the goal of playing Country Origin in 2009, the next step in his long term plan to one day play for NSW and Australia.

The Canberra Times

I reckon Picker will at least get a bench spot in Country next year no problem.

Sensational news
If canberra start the season well, in my honest opinion, Picker will START for country in 2009, he'll be a genuine smokey for a bench spot in SOO
He's a star and the selectors know it, thats why he was picked in the PM XIII

great news well done joe and well done management

Make no mistake I think Picker should get a starting spot for Country, but looking at the second rowers for this years squad, Hindmarsh and Ryan, they are both selector favourites.

They are old hat now mate. The selectors are looking forward to young players not at the twilight of their careers. I don't think either of those two will get selected in any rep sides...

Expect creagh, picker and paterson to emerge as the next long term back rower's. Hoffman and mason are on their last legs for state of origin too. Glenn stewart, chris heighington and laffanchi are all well ahead imo. 4 of the above 6 will play orgin this year. If picker is good enough he'll be one of them

yep i agree

Paterson may end up in the NFL remember.

really? interesting...

the nose should be a rep star next year, great signing. Our pack is looking very dangerous again.

I agree, surely Mason has to be gooooone by now. Hoffman, I'm not so sure, although he will need to play better than he did during this year's series. Glenn Stewart, Heighington and Laffranchi are all super players, Gallen will obviously be there, plus Watmough will surely get an Origin recall next year. Hopefully Picker can be in with a shot though.

Good gear dubs

anyways, if the selectors have any balls Mason and Hoffman wont be near the side next year, one is past it and the other has never done anything above club level footy. Watmough is hit and miss, but he'll probably get Hoffman's spot, had forgotten about him tbh.

Gallen will unfortunately be there... IMO:

11. Laffranchi
12. Stewart
13. Gallen

15. Watmough
16. Heinington/Picker/Cregh/Paterson (which ever is in best form at the time)

Speaking of forwards, wouldn't it be great to see TLL play out 2009. God - I would tip him to be an Australian rep injury free... The guy is an absolute machine! Throw Thompson and Thurling into the mix and there you have it!

I am predicting huge breakthrough years for Thurling and TLL in 2009. Both can be devastating in attack and defence as we know. Thurling's wide running attack is potent, while TLL is a monster who can intimidate both in defence and with ball in hand. I pray that TLL stays injury free so we can finally get the best out of him.

With the signing of Shillington as well, our pack will hopefully intimidate a lot of teams next season.

Correct, Hoffman has so far proven to be a good first grader who hasn't managaed to perform at the same level in rep footy. As for Mason, everyone finally saw him for what he is this year: a lazy bigmouth who thinks he's bigger than the game yet doesn't deliver in the rep games and just coasts through first grade from week to week. Plus he's on the long-term injury list anyway.

I really don't rate Hoffman I have to say - defences have worked him out. They know when the Storm spread it left with Hoffman at the line and two out the back, that Cronk will play the short ball to Hoffman regularly. Every team has worked that move out and he has been absolutely belted this season.