24/11/2009 2:14 PM
Michael Robertson has set his sights on finishing his career with Manly after he and fellow 2008 premiership winger David Williams re-signed with the club.
The Sea Eagles didn't disclose the length of the new deals, which come just a couple of weeks after now-former skipper Matt Orford rejected the offer of a new contract and instead signed with English club Bradford.
After playing 59 games in five seasons with the Raiders, scoring 15 tries, Robertson crossed to Brookvale Oval at the end of 2005 and hasn't looked back, making 102 appearances for the Sea Eagles and crossing for 46 four-pointers including a hat-trick in the 2008 decider against the Storm.
"My time here has been my best in football so I never wanted to go anywhere," said 26-year-old Robertson, whose try-scoring heroics two years ago were a record for a Manly player in a rugby league grand final.
"I'm happy to play out my career in the NRL with the club. Like everyone else here I want to get stuck into a good off-season to again play finals football in 2010."
Williams meanwhile has enjoyed a meteoric rise from unknown to representative star in less than two seasons, grabbing 14 tries on the way to playing in the 2008 title triumph having only made his debut in Round 9 before playing Australia late last year and New South Wales in 2009.
"I was up and down last season - I want to be consistent in the upcoming season" said Williams after a 2009 campaign that wasn't quite as memorable with 11 four-pointers in 18 games, the last of them the 40-12 hiding from Melbourne in the qualifying final that ended the club's season.
With Williams spending the majority of his time on the right wing and Robertson set for a permanent return to the left one next year after spending plenty of time as custodian in Brett Stewart's absence in 2009, coach Des Hasler is rapt to have the duo on board for the coming seasons.
"They have developed well at Manly after initially joining the club for an opportunity," Hasler said.
"They are both proven in big matches and are excellent finishers."