Leeds Carnegie have been given a boost ahead of Saturday's final Guinness Premiership game of the season at Bath with the news that two of the club's longest serving players have agreed new contracts with the club.
Lee Blackett and Jon Pendlebury, both 27, have agreed new two and one year deals respectively. Blackett joined Leeds back in 2006 from local rivals Rotherham and this season has missed only one game in the Guinness Premiership.
Pendlebury returned to his home county of Yorkshire from Gloucester in 2008 and this year captained the Leeds Carnegie A team to the A League semi final for the first time in the club's history.
Commenting on his new contract Blackett said, "It would have been a very hard decision to leave after such a great year and I am delighted that we have been able to agree a new two year deal. This is a special place and the club is really going places in the future.
"I have been here for the previous two seasons in the Premiership when we ended up getting relegated and this group of players is the best group I have been part of. Two years ago we were not good enough to stay in the Premiership but the club have invested both on and off the field and now we have a great team spirit and squad who all play for each other.
"Now we are on an equal footing with the rest of the Premiership we can go forward with confidence.
"I have played the most minutes of anyone at the club this season and that is something I am proud of. As a team we have grown throughout the season and we have finally got to grips with the Premiership.
"It was the same for Quins a couple of seasons ago. We need to build on that knowledge next season and if we can start next season like we have finished this campaign, then who knows how far we can go.
"We have got one more game this year down at Bath on Saturday and we want to perform well there. I would be lying if I said that we did not celebrate the Worcester win but didn't go over the top because everyone wanted to finish the job off this Saturday.
"Having said that, regardless of the result at Bath, this will be a successful season for us and we can go forward with confidence," added Blackett.
