England international Ryan Hall has given Leeds Rhinos a major boost ahead of their opening home game of the season this Friday by committing his future to the club with a new four-year contract.

Hall, 22, was due to be out of contract at the end of next season but has now agreed new terms on a long term contract. Last season he was named International Rookie of the Year as well as winning the Rhinos Young Player of the Year and finishing the season as top try scorer in Super League. Those achievements had caught the attentions of Rugby Union clubs but Hall has committed his future to the Rhinos and Rugby League.

Commenting on this new deal Hall said, "I am really pleased to have committed my future to the club. For me personally, I see it as me committing myself to the team, the length of the contract is not really important in that regard. We have got a group of players that are going to be together for the coming years and I want to play my part in helping us achieve more success.

"Playing for a side like Leeds, makes my job as a winger easy. We have got so many class players that you just have to make sure you are in the right place at the right time. People keep asking me if I can build on last years achievements but I still know that there is a lot more for me to do in the game."

Having made his debut in 2007, Hall has featured in the past two Grand Final successes for the Rhinos and last year made a try scoring debut for England. He has scored 44 tries in just 55 appearances for the Rhinos and was last season named in the Engage Super League Dream Team. He had been linked with a potential move to Rugby Union like former team mate Lee Smith however Hall sees his future in the thirteen man code. He added, "I am a Rugby League player, I always have been and I can not see that changing in the future. As a professional sportsman you can never close the door to other opportunities because you never know when someone may not want you anymore but it is important that as a team we stick together because that makes us stronger," added Hall.

The new contract will keep Hall at Headingley Carnegie until at least the end of the 2013 season. Rhinos Head Coach Brian McClennan is delighted with the news, he added, "This is a huge signing for us. You only need to see how Ryan's game has progressed over the last few years to see his potential. The fact that he has committed his future to the Rhinos is rewarding for everyone involved at the club because he has come through our system and wants to spend the best years of his career here. He has progressed so quickly in recent years that it is exciting to know that the years ahead of him will be spent at the Rhinos and you can only see good things happening for Ryan."

Team mate Keith Senior is also pleased that Hall has agreed a new long term deal. The pair have formed a devastating partnership down the Rhinos left hand side attack and he says that Hall's new deal is good news for Leeds and England. He added, "Ryan showed last year that he can perform at the very highest level and he deserves everything that he gets. It is important for our game that we keep hold of people like Ryan. He has been at Leeds since he was a kid and only wants to play his rugby here which is a great endorsement for our club," added Senior.