Steenson deal delights Baxter
By Mark Stevens
14/1/18
Rob Baxter believes playmaker Gareth Steenson will continue to push himself and the Exeter Chiefs forward after today agreeing terms on a new two-year contract extension at Sandy Park.
Exeter’s Director of Rugby has moved swiftly to tie down the future of the club’s record points-scorer, who arrived in Devon back in 2008 from the Cornish Pirates.
Since then, the 33-year-old Irishman has established himself as an intrinsic part of the Chiefs make-up, producing a catalogue of eye-catching displays in helping the club move out of the Championship and to the summit of the Aviva Premiership.
His match-winning kick in last May’s showpiece final at Twickenham ensured the Chiefs lifted English rugby’s top prize for the first time in their history - and was the defining moment in a year to remember for everyone associated with the club.
With over 250 appearances and 2,331 points to his name, Baxter knows the worth Steenson brings to his side. Today, he spoke of his delight at the news the Dungannon-born fly-half has committed his long-term future to Devon’s finest.
“There are two things that really please me with Steeno,” said Baxter. One is that I am delighted he is staying with us, the other is we still feel he is pushing forward as a player and learning from all the different experiences that we go through as a side.
“If I didn’t feel he had a progressive role with the club, we wouldn’t be looking to move on any further. Yes, there is pressure on him to keep delivering, but we hope at end of this contract extension, there is the potential for him to move into other aspects of the club, possibly coaching.
“As everyone knows, he’s a key part of the ethos and culture of the club, but he knows how we want to do things, knows the drive that we need, and has been a key component of our success. As coaches we still feel he has an awful lot to offer.”
Steenson will, however, have to continue in the same manner as he has done for a number of years - and that includes fighting off the healthy competition of his team-mates for a starting spot.
“It’s not like he came out of the Championship and he’s been our Premiership ten all the way through,” added Baxter. “Gareth’s has had his battles over the years and they’ve made him the person and the player he is today.
“What has been good looking at him is is that he has got his head down, worked hard, fought through those battles, and improved all the time. Every time we pick him it’s because he deserved to play. There are definitely aspects of his game he has worked on and improved.
Yes, he’s one of the guys who have been here a long time, but all of them have stayed because they have worked hard and they’ve played well to stay here. He’s not got a contract extension just because he was here in Championship days, it’s based on his playing abilities, the way he trains, and what we see in the future.
"It’s great that he has been here a while because that adds real value, but the biggest value is his attributes as a player. He’s a big part of our leadership group, he’s captained the side, and he understands what we want from the club.
“This contract, I know, was a big decision for him purely because it’s one where it’s taking him possibly up to that stage where he has to look at things post rugby. By signing now he’s made his future very much here in Exeter and that’s fantastic for him, me and the club in the long term.”