The Canberra Raiders have re-signed NYC and local junior Nick Cotric for two more seasons, with the junior Raider extending his deal until the end of the 2018 season.
Cotric, 17, turns 18 in November and has been a standout performer for the Raiders in the Harold Matthew’s Cup (Under 16’s), SG Ball Cup (Under 18’s) and now NYC (Under20s) squads.
He is currently in camp with the Australian Schoolboys team and will play the curtain raiser to the Raiders NYC and NRL matches against the Sharks tomorrow at Southern Cross Group Stadium.
Cotric said the decision to stay at the Raiders was an easy one for him and said there were plenty of positive factors which helped contribute to his decision.
“The Raiders are a great club with a huge future and I’m looking forward to working hard over the next couple of years and hopefully getting an opportunity in the NRL,” Cotric said. “All of my family and friends are from Canberra and I’ve absolutely loved playing in the NYC competition this year.
“Our Coach Brett White has been a big mentor for me and he’s really helped me develop my game and help me become a better player.”
Cotric will move into the NRL squad for the start of the 2017 pre-season and said Coach Ricky Stuart had spoken with him about what he wants from him for the rest of this season and in the future.
“Ricky’s a great coach and a great guy and we talked about where he sees my future,” he said. “It’s exciting when you get the chance to sit down with the Head Coach and he just wants me to keep doing what I’m doing under Whitey this year.
“I know that I still have a lot to learn with my game and I’ll stay focussed on finishing the season well for the NYC team and hopefully we can make the finals.”
Raiders recruitment & High Performance Manager Peter Mulholland said Cotric had deserved his contract extension and said he looked forward to seeing his progression in the coming seasons.
“No doubt Nick has amazing talent, but it’s been his application and dedication to the club this season which made him a priority re-signing for us,” Mulholland said. “I know his Coach Brett White has big wraps on him as does Ricky and we’re looking forward to seeing what he can achieve with a pre-season with the NRL squad.”
“It’s always exciting for a club when you can develop your own talent and Nick has been a long term project for our junior development team. We are looking forward to him continuing his progression over the next two years.”
