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Hot off the Perthnow presses:
By rugby writer Nick Taylor
March 08, 2008 06:00pm
EXCLUSIVE by NICK TAYLOR: Western Force superstar Matt Giteau will sign a new two-year deal with the club. Hell yeah!
Australia's biggest-paid, highest-profile player made the decision to stay in Perth on Friday.
He is expected to sign his new contract on Monday.
The dynamic back still has one year of his original Force contract to run and the new deal will keep him at the club through to the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
The Force and the Australian Rugby Union are expected to confirm Giteau's deal on Tuesday.
The decision rounds off a great week for the Force who announced on Tuesday that they had signed captain Nathan Sharpe until the World Cup year - as revealed in The Sunday Times a month ago. Hasn't it just.
It is also understood that Cameron Shepherd, whose contract with the Force ends in October, has started talks with the club and is keen to settle on a deal that would see him stay in Perth. Sharpie, Giteau and Shepherd would make a nice three from three.
Keeping the prized signing of vice-captain Giteau, once nicknamed Kid Dynamite, is news Force fans have been desperate to hear.
Australia's other Super 14 sides would have been interested in snatching the 25-year-old _ who has 51 Test caps and who has made 56 Super appearances _ from the Force.
No doubt cashed up, big paying European sides also showed an interest in Giteau, tagged the million dollar man when he moved to Perth because of the size of that deal.
But indications that he was keen to stay in Perth have been growing for some time.
In August last year he responded to an eastern states report that he was considering a release from his lucrative three-year contract by saying: "I am committed to the Force and staying in Perth.
"I have just bought a house there. What do I need to do? Buy two?''
Then in January, when he was handed the Force vice-captaincy, Giteaureinforced his intentions by saying: "I love the city and enjoy the lifestyle.
"There's been a lot of talk that I was going to leave, that I was unhappy.
"I don't know where that came from.
"I don't see any reason why I should leave.''
Earlier this week, when announcing the Sharpe deal, Force acting chief executive Mitch Hardy said he was pretty confident of holding on to Giteau.
"We would certainly want to hold on to somebody like Matt until the next World Cup at least...and we are pretty confident we will hold on to Matt,'' he said.
Details of Giteau's contract have not been revealed but when he originally signed with the Force was said to have been on $1.5 million a year - a deal that included his Force and ARU salaries and sponsorship agreements.
It was said to be:
Western Force salary $100,000
Western Force match fee $50,000
ARU Wallaby top-up $450,000
Test appearance fee $150,000
Corporate sponsorship $500-$750,000
Awesome news. GIGS20 better get that letter to Growden written up because I have a feeling that on top of his usual pie diet there will be a bit of humble pie to get down its going to take him a while too because he has a lot to eat!
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Originally Posted by jazza93
Was the wait worth it - Ya betta baby 
