Ricky Stuart is officially staying with the Raiders until the end of the 2025 season.
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The board unanimously voted to retain Stuart as Raiders coach when they met on July 6, but it was just on Friday that the parties were able to finalise and announce the three-year contract extension.
"I'm very excited about it. It's something I've been talking to [Raiders Group chief executive] Simon Hawkins about for a couple of weeks after the direction he got from the board," Stuart said.
"Yesterday afternoon I went and visited [Raiders chairman] Allan Hawke in hospital, and everything got the okay. And it was lovely to see Allan. He's had a real tough period of illness over the last four years.
"To see what he's had to endure over the last four years - he's the most resilient, toughest person I've met in my life. It was great to be able to sit there and have a chat about the club and plan and go forward, and I appreciate the support and the trust they've put in me."
The Canberra born-and-raised coach has said repeatedly he didn't want to move to any other NRL club, but didn't push the contract talks.
"I've been talking to the club about this for a couple of months now, and I've waited. I didn't make a decision early in the year when it was first discussed because I wanted to make sure I was the right person for the club too," Stuart said.
"When I feel and know that I'm not the right person for the job, I've said to Don Furner and Simon and Allan a number of times, 'I will tell you, you won't have to tell me'."
With his future locked in and the club boasting a wealth of talent through the grades, Stuart is now confident the Raiders are in a solid position for NRL success.
"A coach needs longevity, and to build a competitive roster it's so important to have that support behind you, knowing you've got people all rowing in the same direction," Stuart said.
"No one's pulling in another direction in the journey we're on. Over the years that I've been here, we all have the same goals and values, we all want to win a competition.
"We've built a roster at the moment that's got a lot of youth and they're all gaining experience. And I do see a bright future for what these youth are displaying.
"We've got good senior role models around the youth and there's a great leadership group here.
"We're all wanting what our fans want - that's to win a grand final and that is something I work at and think about every day of my life."
The board added that retaining Stuart was "the best direction and stability" for the club.
"With professionalism and passion for the organisation, club, members, fans and supporters, Ricky continues to be the best-fit for the role," Hawkins said.
"The board also wants to provide a clear and decisive direction in the head coaching position, to provide clarity and assurance to current and future players who may be looking to extend or sign with the club."
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