BARROW Raiders Matt Costello has his sights set on success having signed a new two-year deal with the club.
It means that the former St Helens Academy graduate will be with the club until at least the end of the 2026 season.
Costello only joined the Raiders on a permanent basis ahead of the current campaign, having spent the three seasons prior with Betfred Super League side Salford Red Devils.
But despite the club finding itself battling to beat the drop, he is convinced better times are within reach, and had no hesitation signing a new deal.
He told the club’s official website: “I am really happy to get a deal done and extend my stay with the Raiders. I’m enjoying my rugby, so it was an easy decision to make.
“The deal got sorted really quickly as I’ve had conversations with the club about re-signing very early on in the year. Barrow are really supportive of my career outside of rugby, so it was a really easy deal to get done.
“This season, our form hasn’t been where we’d have liked, but it’s a new team with a massive turnover of players from last year.
“I’m hoping we can build on this year with some good additions during the winter, and become a really competitive Championship side with the quality we have in our team.”
Speaking about the deal Barrow Raiders head coach Paul Crarey said: “It’s great news that Matt has agreed to stay for a further two years.
“Matt is another player who has come in from a Super League club and led by example, both on the training pitch and out on the field.
“His versatility and willingness to play anywhere to help the team succeed is a great example to set for all our players. Matt has been a great leader, and all the coaching staff love working alongside him.”
Director of rugby Andy Gaffney added: “Having someone as knowledgeable and experienced as Matt to help improve our younger players is incredibly important.
“His performances are consistently at a high level and there’s still so much that he can offer us, so we’re delighted that he has committed for another two years.
“Retaining our core group of senior players is a huge boost too. Having him agree to new terms off the back of Josh Wood’s extended deal is a good sign, not just for the rest of this season but for the two years to follow.”
The 26-year-old, who enjoyed a brief loan stint at the Raiders in 2022 – has gone on to feature 21 times this year, scoring five tries.
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