Cordner staying with the Roosters
Sydney Roosters co-captain Boyd Cordner will be in red, white and blue for the rest of his playing days after inking a bumper multimillion-dollar, five-year deal to stay with the Tricolours.
Cordner can now lay claim to being the highest paid second-rower in the game with his latest extension understood to be worth in excess of $850,000 a season.
The 25-year-old agreed to terms with the club on Monday before announcing the news on Fox Sports program NRL 360.
Cordner has already spent a decade in the Roosters system since joining their juniors from his country home town of Old Bar as a 16-year-old.
He will be 31 by the time he next comes off contract in 2023.
The NSW Origin skipper and Kangaroos international is well and truly on track to finish his career as a one-club man, with Cordner declaring on Monday he could never see himself leaving the glamour outfit.
“It’s a place where I’ve been since I was a kid and honestly I couldn’t see myself playing anywhere else,” Cordner said.
“I’ve been blessed with so many memories and opportunities in my time with the Roosters. “I’ve grown up there. I came down as a boy and grew into a man.
“It’s a great club. I love the memories I’ve had so far and I can’t wait to create many more.”
Roosters coach Trent Robinson welcomed the news .
“Boyd is our captain, and he is highly-respected for not only his strong work ethic and tireless work rate on the field, but just as importantly, for the man he is away from the field,” Robinson said in a press release on Tuesday.
“It’s great news for the Roosters that Boyd’s experience and leadership will continue to benefit the team around him in the coming years,” he added.
Since his Telstra Premiership debut with the Roosters in 2011, Cordner has claimed premiership honours and played 126 NRL matches, nine Origins and 16 Tests for Australia.
His recent injury history is not of concern to Cordner or the club given the long-term deal.
Cordner has been limited to just 30 games for the Roosters over the past two years due to knee and pectoral injuries, with the former also affecting his ability to train at full capacity.
This off-season Cordner underwent a stem-cell injection to regenerate a knee injury that limited him to 18 games last season, with the skipper a likely starter in Saturday's final pre-season trial against the Manly Sea Eagles in Gosford.
