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Elliott Whitehead and Ryan Sutton said they had no hesitation about outing pen to paper again to stay at Canberra for a further two seasons, extending their deals until the end of 2022.

Whitehead's new deal will extend his tenure at the club to seven years with the English international now one of the senior leaders of the Raiders.

"I'm happy it's done now so I can focus on the rest of the season," Whitehead said.

"I didn't really want to go anywhere else, what the club's done for me in my career has been awesome so hopefully I can repay them over the next few years.

"When I first came here I didn't think I'd ever get to 100 games and now I'm only two away from that and hopefully I can get that milestones in the one before the grand final."

Off the back of a host of important players re-signing along with coach Ricky Stuart until 2023, Whitehead can sense there is a chance for something special to happen in the nation's capital.

"I probably believed in myself I could come over here and do the job I needed to do," Whitehead said of his time in the NRL.

"It probably took after until my first season until I felt like I was part of the team and I was comfortable.

"I feel like it's improved me quite a lot which I think he been shown when I've played internationals over the last few years, so hopefully I've still got a little bit of learning left in me even though I'm getting a little bit older now."

Finals Snapshot: Raiders

Whitehead praised Sutton for fitting in with the Raiders' culture and his his ability to provide spark off the bench or quality minutes in the run-on side.

"He's been great for us and he and John have really adapted well and that's been shown on the field," he said.

Coming from England and just looking for a chance, Sutton was not quite a household name in Australia compared to the rest of his countrymen at the club.

However, he's quickly shown his ability to provide punch in attack and starch in the middle for the Raiders.  

"If you said this to me [I'd re-sign] at the start of the year I wouldn't have believed you," Sutton said.

"It's been a bit of a learning curve this year, it's been pretty tough, but I feel like I've got my foot in the door a bit.

"I expected to only play a few games, nowhere near as many as I have but I'm happy the coaching staff have had the confidence to play me as much as they have."

Sutton said his mind was made up to stay when a visit from his parents in May allowed them to see how their son was flourishing.

"When they came over to see what Canberra was like as a town and what the club was like you want your parent's approval for most things," he said.

"When they saw what a good place it was and how well the club treated me it took a big weight off my shoulder and made me realise it's a good place to stay."

Acknowledgement of Country

National Rugby League respects and honours the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.

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