Elliott has
contract extended

Canberra Raiders coach, Matthew Elliott has been given a two year extension on his contract and will remain with the club until the end of the 2005 season. Elliott has yet to prove himself as a class coach as the Raiders languish in ninth spot on the ladder and this follows a disappointing season in 2001. He is starting to show glimpses of what made him coach of the year in the U.K as Canberra slowly climb the premiership ladder and fight for credibility.

With some high profile Canberra players off contract this year, the club may have moved to re-sign Elliott as a bargaining chip with the players they are trying to retain. If this is the case, then Elliott definitely has the respect of the players as he attempts to return the Raiders to the glory days of the early nineties. This will be no easy task but with the club likely to be very active in the player market after the June 30 anti tampering deadline, a club with a secure future and coach may go a long way to securing he signatures of some much sought after talent.

The move is a risky one but it is a leap of faith for the Raiders and positive thinking such as this may be one of the things that Canberra need to be a genuine premiership force again. It's not a matter of if, only when Canberra dominate again.