Respected North Queensland assistant Ian Millward will join Canberra as assistant coach next NRL season.

The former Wigan Super League coach will join newly-appointed Raiders head coach David Furner for two seasons.

"I weighed up my options between the UK and Australia and I think the direction that the Raiders are taking in regards to their personnel and infrastructure was quite attractive," Millward said.

"It's going to be an exciting challenge for us next year and I'm really looking forward to it."

Millward applauded the look of the Raiders' 2009 squad.

"There's some exciting backline players at the club and the forwards have a good work ethic," he said.

"I think David Shillington is an outstanding signing, and the re-signing of local talent such as Todd Carney and Adrian Purtell sends a message out of what the players think of this club."

Furner, the current assistant coach, said Millward's appointment was a huge boost ahead of his debut season in the top job.

"Ian brings a lot of experience, I had a lot to do with him when I was over in England and he's a very successful coach," Furner said.

"He's a Challenge Cup winner, a Super League winner and a world club challenge winner so there's a lot of experience there.

"He's been back in the NRL for two years so he obviously knows the players that are involved in the NRL and what's needed to come up against the sides here, so it's a good position for me to be in."

Raiders CEO Don Furner said the Raiders were impressed with what Millward said he could bring to the club, and he was an ideal foil for a first-year head coach.

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