David Furner believes the recruitment

of Sydney Roosters prop David

Shillington will inject some much-

needed starch into his 2009 squad.

Shillington yesterday signed a

four-year deal with the Raiders,

filling the hole left by departing prop

Michael Weyman.

Furner said Shillington's size and

experience made him a perfect fit for

the Raiders, who will lose Weyman to

St George-Illawarra next season.

''He's got plenty of experience and

it's a position that we were looking at

and I think it's very good for the

club,'' Furner said.

''His size, his aggressiveness, his

off-load ability and ball-playing

ability makes him a great asset.

''He's a guy who has been in a

system there that has been through

semi-finals and grand finals.

''He's a good, experienced player

to have and he's still young and I

think he'll add a bit of starch to the

pack.''

Shillington debuted for the

Roosters in 2005, the year after the

club had featured in two consecutive

grand finals.

He has since played 56 first grade

games.

The 24-year-old said a chat with

former Roosters teammates Nigel

Plum and Joel Monaghan had

convinced him to move to the

national capital.

''The Raiders are a young side on

the up and after talking with Nigel

Plum and Joel Monaghan it looks like

they have a strong future,'' Shillington

said.

''They have a good young side with

plenty of talent and their Toyota Cup

team is also strong at the moment.''

Shillington has managed just six

appearances this season, but his

form at the start of the year was so

good that he kept representative stars

Willie Mason and Mark O'Meley out

of the Roosters' starting side.

He also represented the Prime

Minister's XIII against Papua New

Guinea last year.

Shillington is the third player the

Raiders have recruited for next

season.

The club has also lured Nathan

Smith back from Penrith and secured

Wests Tigers hooker Stuart Flanagan

to a three-year deal.

''We've been selective in the

players we've targeted,'' Furner said.

''The pleasing thing is I think

Shillington will fit straight into our

culture at the club and with our

senior players here.

''He's actually had a hand injury

for a couple of weeks, but at the start

of the year he was starting and you

had blokes like O'Meley and Mason

off the bench.''

Meanwhile the Raiders are yet to

re-enter negotiations with off-

contract five-eighth Terry Campese

despite facing an uphill battle to lure

Trent Barrett to the club.

The Raiders withdrew a three-year

contract offer to Campese last month

after deciding to focus on luring

former NSW and Australian star

Barrett to Canberra.

But Barrett is strongly rumoured to

be heading to Cronulla.

Furner said he had spoken to

Campese about the situation.

''We've just asked him to make

sure he concentrates on playing good

football,'' Furner said.

''I've expressed to him from the

club's point of view that the contract

is on hold.''

The Raiders could also re-sign

hooker Ryan Hinchcliffe for next

season despite already having Withers

and Flanagan on the books.