Raiders re-sign rookie Carney
Rugby league By Peter Fitzgerald
Thursday, 1 July 2004
The future success of the Canberra Raiders gained a major boost yesterday with one star confirming his loyalty to the club as another declared he doesn't want to leave.
Teenage sensation Todd Carney agreed to terms on a three-year extension to his contract which didn't expire until the end of next year, dedicating himself to the Raiders until the end of 2008.
Moments later, centre Joel Monaghan confirmed he wanted nothing more than to remain in Canberra for the next phase of his National Rugby League career.
Carney, 18, re-signed with the club yesterday, becoming the youngest player to commit to the Raiders for a four-year period.
The Goulburn youngster was approached by the club over a fortnight ago forcing his manager, David Riolo, to make a trip to Canberra last week specifically to discuss terms with the club.
While yesterday's announcement came as no surprise, coach Matt Elliott was nevertheless struggling to hide his excitment.
"I've commented many times about how much respect I have for Todd as a player and have also indicated that our recruitment of halves has been based largely around him," he said.
"It's not something we would regularly do with such a young player - sign them for such a long period - but the quality of Todd's talent really demanded we did."
Monaghan, on the other, is still yet to re-sign with the Raiders, but yesterday gave the strongest indication yet that he would be with the side for the next few years.
The club's leading try-scorer this year and last admitted he would be prepared to accept less money in Canberra if that's what it would take for him to be able to remain with the Raiders.
Monaghan has been linked with five other NRL clubs, but hasn't been able to field offers as the Raiders refused to give him permission to discuss his future elsewhere before the competition's anti-tampering deadline.
That deadline, however, ended at midnight.
"I sat down and had a good think about everything and am pleased to say [my manager and I] are having a meeting with the Raiders [today]," he said. "I would take less to play here. It's not all about money but an enjoyable future.
"I've been in Canberra for 22 years - I couldn't just turn my back on it."
While Monaghan has over 50 matches and 170 points to his name at the top level, Carney has less than one full game of first grade experience behind him.
But Elliott and the Raiders' committee view the boom teenager as the future of the club.
It was only four months ago he was lining up in the SG Ball Cup (under 18s) competition.
He was then rushed into the club's Premier League side before receiving a shock call-up in the first-grade squad on a full-time basis.
At 18 years and 17 days, Carney became the fourth youngest player - behind Todd Payten, Laurie Daley and Brett Finch - to don the Green Machine jersey for a first-grade encounter when he debuted against the Bulldogs in Gosford a fortnight ago.
He then travelled to Brisbane with the side to play the Broncos last week and has again been named on the bench for Saturday night's home clash with Wests Tigers.
Elliott admitted he had never intended on blooding Carney as early as he did.
"Todd's debut in first grade came at a time before both he and I had expected," he said.
"It's been an interesting debut process against quality opposition but he's acquitted himself very well and I'm obviously very, very optimistic [about his future]."
