Back and Key commit to Leeds

Andy Key and Neil Back: sticking around

Today is an excellent day for Leeds Carnegie fans like me.  Why?  Well because coaching duo Neil Back and Andy Key have pledged their future to the club by signing one-year contract extensions.

The new deals will see head coach Back and director of rugby Key both stay at Headingley until 2012.

I like this for many reasons.  Firstly, Backy and Kiwi have instilled a harder, more professional edge at the club since they dragged it up by its bootstraps in 2008.

Call it a Leicester mental toughness, call it what you like, but the pair, who joined from the Tigers, steered Leeds to promotion from the Championship before securing the club's position in the Premiership last term.  Now they are looking to consolidate and build and seal a top six finish complete with a Heineken Cup spot.

The fact the duo have committed their future to the club beyond the end of this season speaks reams about their dedication to the club and their vision for it.

I love a bit of positivity.  This pair are the best thing to happen to Leeds since the shock Powergen Cup win back in 2005.

And I'm not the only one who is excited by their new deals.

"This is an exciting time to be involved with Leeds," Back told BBC Radio Leeds.

"I am pleased to have agreed a new contract. Andy and I have a long-term vision for the club.

"We're two steps along the road in the first two years, and everyone is working tremendously hard to raise the additional finance so we can build a squad that can compete at the highest level.

"We need the support of the Yorkshire people as they can contribute to our success and bums on seats at our next home game are critical for raising the funds we need to buy the players that are necessary to compete at the top of the table.

"We see the infrastructure is in place to do that, we just need people to support and buy into it so they can contribute to our success."

Here here.  Without getting all Delia Smith about it, come on people of Yorkshire, start supporting your one and only Premiership rugby team.