Dragons Confirm Release
of Kite and Riddell

The Dragons today confirmed that they had withdrawn from negotiations to re-sign Brent Kite and Mark Riddell and have agreed to release the pair from the club for 2005 prior to the June 30 deadline.

Dragons Chief executive Officer Peter Doust said: ?It?s a massive understatement to say the Board, management, staff and players are disappointed to see Brent and Mark depart the club in 2005.

?However, it?s about manpower planning within a specific confined amount to spend ? a salary cap. Our priority must be to local juniors coming through and to keep our established locally-produced representative players.?

Kite, 23, formerly with the Canberra Raiders, has been with the Dragons since 2002 and made his NSW Country and Origin debuts this year; while Riddell, 23, a former Bulldogs and Roosters player, has been with the Dragons since 2001 and made his NSW City debut this year.

Kite, who got married in the off-season, and Riddell both said it had been an ?extremely hard? decision to leave the Dragons.

?I am extremely grateful to Nathan Brown and other club management for getting me up here when I was at a low point in my career,? said Kite, who joined the Dragons after breaking his leg in Canberra.

?I feel indebted to the boys. The players I get to play alongside of each week have helped me to gain representative honours this year and therefore also helped me to sign a contract that will be best for me and my family in the future. I am really grateful to them.

?I know it is a clich?, but we have great camaraderie off the field and I will be very sad to leave my mates. I really want to make the most of my last chance to play with such a talented roster of players. Everyone knows this Dragons team is capable of something special ? and it certainly would be a great memory to leave with.?

Dragons coach Nathan Brown said: ?It is extremely disappointing to lose both players. Mark Riddell is a match-winner and he is a good character who is popular with the fans ? you can?t just find another ?Pig?, but we couldn?t match the other offer.

?Kitey is a terrific front rower who is on his way up and we have put a lot of time into developing him. Players like Riddell, Kitey and Brett Firman, whom we have had to let go, will come back to haunt us because they are good players.

?The supporters should not be hard on Peter Doust and club management simply because they were offered a lot of money from elsewhere and there is no concession for developing young players ?

Doust said: ?We will continue to make commitments to develop imported players, however you could say we are doing too good a job of it in a salary-cap regulated environment.

?We all join together in wishing Brent and Mark all the success they are looking for. They have both contributed significantly to the club.

?We recognise our supporters and sponsors will be disappointed, however we look forward to some considerable success this year before they leave.?

Doust said he anticipates that Jason Ryles will extend his contract to 2007 and Ben Hornby will re-sign for three years until 2007 prior to the June 30 deadline, joining fellow local juniors Mathew Head, 22 (Dapto), Justin Poore, 19 (Helensburgh), Dean Young, 20 (Dapto), and Ashton Sims, 19 (Gerringong), who all signed in the past fortnight until the end of 2006.