Former Pambula-Merimbula junior Euan Aitken will remain with the St George Illawarra Dragons after re-signing with the club on a three-year contract.
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The deal will see the 21-year-old stick with the club until at least the end of the 2020 season.
It’s being hailed as a win-win with many pundits touting Aitken as a future Origin star, while the young gun said it was an easy choice to stick with the club that launched him into the NRL.
"The St George Illawarra Dragons have been a good club to me. I've been here through all my junior years and come through the ranks to now first grade," Aitken said.
"It was an easy decision to re-sign for a further three years, I really enjoy it here and I really like the direction the club is heading and I want to be a part of it".
2017 will be Aitken’s third season in the top grade after debuting in round three 2015 against Canberra, but he does have aspirations to pull on both a blue jumper and eventually the green and gold.
Asked if there was any facets of his game he wants to work on, Aitken said there was nothing specific, but he did hope to build on his Four Nations run in the hopes of earning a NSW jumper.
“I took a lot [from the Four Nations], I’d really love to show that through the Dragons and keep building, I really want to push for an Origin spot in the next few years.”
He is barely off the plane from representing Scotland in the international, and the Auckland Nines tournament just last weekend.
Dragons Director of Rugby League Pathways Ian Millward said Aitken's retention was crucial for the future success of the Club.
"It's always exciting when one of your own re-signs, especially a player and person like Euan," Millward said.
"He's only a young man who in two years has made his representative debut. He's a player that everyone loves playing with and he'll only improve.
"He's also one of the fittest players in our club and a player who we see will lead the way in future years. We're very excited for Euan."
Aitken said in an interview with Dragons media he missed a lot of pre-season preparations with his Four Nations commitments, but had been hitting the track hard since his return.
With the season fast-approaching, Aitken is in prime condition for a run at the season and he hopes the club can go a step further this year.
“The club looks like it's building around the juniors and a few of the senior guys,” Aitken said.
“We'll worry about this year first and hopefuly a good season to come – I can’t wait to spend a couple more years at the club.”