Wests Tigers are pleased to announce that Michael Chee Kam has extended his playing contract with the Club for another season.
The 24-year-old has played a total of seven NRL games, with two of those appearances in Wests Tigers colours this season against the Knights and Rabbitohs.
The Mount Wellington Lions junior joined Wests Tigers for the 2016 season from the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, where he made five first grade appearances over two years.
Chee Kam, who can play centre or second row, represented the Australian Schoolboys in 2010 and played three seasons of Under 20s with the Canberra Raiders.
Chee Kam was thankful for the opportunity to re-sign at Wests Tigers, after thoroughly enjoying the change of Clubs this year.
“I’m really excited to get another year with the boys, especially with this great Club,” Chee Kam said. “They gave me the opportunity last year to sign with them and now I’m repaying the faith by staying around and putting my best foot forward.
“Everyone has been really welcoming, right across the whole the club, there is a great bunch of people at Wests Tigers.
“Everyone is talking about team and I think that goes across the whole Club – everyone has been welcoming and I’ve really enjoyed playing footy again,” he said.
Chee Kam’s first six NRL appearances came from the interchange bench, with last weekend’s game against Newcastle the first time he has started a first grade match.
“It was unreal to get my first starting spot on the weekend,” Chee Kam said.
“Running out and seeing a big crowd at Campbelltown had me buzzing. Hopefully I can just keep improving each week and hopefully get more opportunities in the coming games.
“Obviously my goal is just get more NRL games under my belt and to work hard to get in that regular first grade team each week.
“I just need to keep training hard and working on the little things the coaching staff put to me,” he said.
Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe said he is pleased Chee Kam has committed to the Club for another season.
“We’ve had a number of quality players re-commit to Wests Tigers in recent weeks and that’s a great sign that the players have faith in what we are working towards at the Club,” Pascoe said. “Michael has certainly embraced the core values since joining Wests Tigers and we are very excited to have him on board for another season.”
Head Coach Jason Taylor praised Chee Kam for his hard work and effort since joining Wests Tigers.
“Michael has been a great addition to our roster this season,” Taylor said. “He has worked really hard during pre-season and I’m really excited that he has re-signed for another year.
“Michael is a pleasure to have a the Club and it’s a great sign for the future of Wests Tigers that we have players like him wanting to stay here,” he said.
The new one-year deal secures Chee Kam at Wests Tigers through until the end of the 2017 season.
Chee Kam has been named on an extended interchange bench for this Friday night’s match against the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium.
Be there to cheer the boys on when they take on South Sydney Rabbitohs on June 10!
