England international Ryan Hall has handed Leeds Rhinos a major boost ahead of their opening home game of the season against Castleford Tigers on Friday by committing his future to the club for the next four years.
The 22-year-old's contract was due to expire at the end of 2011, but he has now penned a new long-term agreement with the triple Grand Final winners.
* Click here to watch latest YEP news and sport video reports.Last season he was named International Rookie of the Year, collected the Rhinos' Young Player of the Year award, finished the season as top tryscorer in engage Super League, as well as picking up the YEP's Shooting Star award.
* Click here for latest YEP news and sport picture slideshows.Those achievements caught the attention of several rugby union clubs, but Hall has committed his future to Headingley Carnegie and the 13-a-side code.
* Click here for latest YEP news.Hall said: "Personally, I see it as me committing myself to the team, the length of the contract is not really important.
* Click here for latest Wakefield news."We have got a group of players that are going to be together for the coming years and I want to play my part in helping us achieve more success.
* Click here for latest YEP rugby league headlines."Playing for a side like Leeds makes my job as a winger easy. We've got so many class players that you just have to make sure you're in the right place at the right time.
"People keep asking me if I can build on last year's achievements, but I know there's a lot more for me to do in the game."
Having made his debut in 2007, Hall has featured in the past two Grand Final successes for the Rhinos and last year made a try-scoring debut for England.
He has scored 44 tries in just 55 appearances for the Rhinos and was last season named in the Engage Super League Dream Team.
He had been linked with a potential move to rugby union like former team-mate Lee Smith, who joined Guinness Premiership side London Wasps at the end of last season. However Hall, who started out at Oulton Raiders, sees his future in the 13-man code.
He said: "I am a rugby league player, I always have been and I cannot see that changing in the future. As a professional sportsman you can never close the door to other opportunities because you never know when someone may not want you anymore but it is important that as a team we stick together because that makes us stronger."
The new contract will keep Hall at Headingley Carnegie until at least the end of the 2013 season.
Rhinos head coach Brian McClennan was delighted by the news, saying: "This is a huge signing for us. You only need to see how Ryan's game has progressed over the last few years to see his potential.
"The fact that he has committed his future to the Rhinos is rewarding for everyone involved at the club because he has come through our system and wants to spend the best years of his career here.
"He has progressed so quickly that it is exciting to know that the years ahead of him will be spent at the Rhinos and you can only see good things happening for Ryan."
Team-mate Keith Senior is also pleased that Hall has agreed a new long-term deal.
The pair have formed a devastating partnership down the Rhinos left.
"Ryan showed last year that he can perform at the very highest level and he deserves everything that he gets," said Senior. "It is important for our game that we keep hold of people like Ryan.
"He has been at Leeds since he was a kid and only wants to play his rugby here which is a great endorsement for our club."