Picker Brothers remain in Canberra
There was an early Christmas present for the Picker family today at Raiders HQ, with brothers Michael and Ben Picker both re-signing contracts with the Raiders to keep them in Canberra for at least the next two seasons.
The two younger members of the Picker clan have emulated their older brother Joe's re-signing earlier this season, with Michael re-signing until 2010 while Ben joins Joe at the Raiders until the end of 2011.
After steering the Raiders to a Toyota Cup premiership in 2008 from five-eighth Michael said he's happy he's been able to remain in Canberra with his brothers, and is already keen to build on his achievements of the season passed.
"It's great to have my future sorted before Christmas and the New Year, and I can now come back looking forward to 2009 and know that I'm here for a bit longer," Michael said. "For us being brothers and knowing that we're all here together is great, and there's a real family feeling around the club amongst all the players."
Michael said its great to have his brothers with him at the Raiders and he's enjoying living in Canberra with his older brother Joe, but said younger brother Ben still had to wait before he claimed the spare room at their place.
"Having your family at the club you know you've always got someone to turn to and someone to talk to if things aren't going well, and you can do the same for them," he said. "Mum's not prepared to let him [Ben] leave home yet, so he's got to finish year eleven and twelve in Crookwell before he comes over permanently."
After a stunning 2008 season which saw him cement an NRL position and play representative football for the Prime Ministers XIII, Joe Picker said it's great to see his brothers making the same steps he's made in the past.
"We all wanted to stay together if we could and it's turned out that we are so we're all pretty happy with it," Joe said. "This is the closest club to our home in Bigga and we enjoy it here and we're a tight knit family who likes to hang around each other."
"We've all done the traveling at junior level and now that Ben's doing it he knows where you can go if you work hard."
As the youngest of four brothers Ben has established himself at junior level with the Green Machine in the under 16's competition at hooker, and will use the next three seasons to make his way through the Raiders ranks.
Ben Picker said he'll carry on the family tradition of traveling to train with the Raiders while he's still at school, and is already keen to get back on the field after a broken wrist ended his 2008 season early.
"I'll stay at home and go to school in Crookwell and travel over to train. I've watched the boys do it before so I know what's involved," Ben said. "I'm really looking forward to getting back out there this year and hopefully making my own way into the higher grades in the future."
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