St George Illawarra winger Jason Nightingale has agreed to terms with the NRL club for a further three years, until the end of the 2011 season.

The local junior was part of the Dragons' premiership-winning Jersey Flegg team in 2005 and scored a try in his NRL debut against Penrith in round eight last year.

Nightingale, 21, is the club's leading try scorer in 2008 with five tries and is a contender for a Kiwi Test debut for the Centenary clash next Friday.

"I'm very excited to know that I will be staying at the Dragons," said Nightingale.

"As a local junior I grew up watching and admiring the Dragons and have been very happy throughout my time here to date.

"Being off contract at the end of this year wasn't something I was really worried about, I have just been concentrating on playing consistent footy each week, but in saying this, it is nice to know that my immediate future is sorted."

The Dragons also advised of another three-year appointment from 2009, Jeremy Hickman the current performance director at Brisbane will follow Wayne Bennett down to Wollongong and head up the sport science team from next season.

Hickman, a former Hull KR player currently in his third season with the Broncos, was lured by the opportunity to create a new sports science program at the Dragons.

"The opportunity at the Dragons allows for me to control and develop a new program and build upon what is already in place at the club," said Hickman.

"This is a professional opportunity about which I am very excited."

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