The Sydney Roosters have averted a battle to retain rising star Latrell Mitchell, signing him to a contract extension until the end of the 2020 NRL season.
The club on Monday announced it had locked in Mitchell, fellow centre Joseph Manu and promising talent Nat Butcher for the same period.
Mitchell had a contract for 2019 but committed for a further year, preventing a likely war over his services when rival clubs could begin talking to him in November.
The 20-year-old said it meant "everything" to him to stay.
"The first time I signed with the Roosters I knew I was coming to a good club and family-orientated. That's the first thing I felt and I still feel it to this day," Mitchell said on Monday.
"That's why I wanted to extend with the Roosters, just to see how far I could take my footy.
"I just wanted to get it out of the way now and just focus on playing some good footy for the next couple of years and see where I could take myself."
Mitchell cemented his status as one of the game's youngest stars last year following a mid-year axing to reserve grade for defensive issues.
This year he is focussed on performing consistently strongly rather than just producing sporadic highlights.
"I want to try and get out of being that 'moments' player and instead get into the game early and take those carries, or something as simple as defending the line for the boys," he said.
"I just want to train that work ethic into my game."
Part of that ambition includes getting in the frame for State of Origin selection for NSW, who are led by club teammate Boyd Cordner.
The Roosters skipper said it was up to Mitchell.
"The sky's the limit. He's got all the potential in the world, and all the skill. I think we've all seen that. He's already a great NRL player," Cordner said.
"It's just, how good will he get? It'll be exciting to watch him grow."
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