STAR Giant Stanley Gene has today pledged the rest of his Super League career to the McAlpine club.

In a sensational pre-season boost, the 29-year-old Papua New Guinean international has signed a two-year contract extension which will keep him at the McAlpine until 2006.

And in a further pledge to underline Gene's commitment to the cause, he has agreed to move from his home in Hull to Huddersfield in order to be nearer the club.

Gene's decision was prompted by the news that fellow top-line star Brandon Costin had signed a one-year extension last month.

Costin put pen to paper to end speculation of a possible move to Leeds Rhinos, a club with which Gene has also been linked.

But today's announcement has obviously ended such rumours, as well as all the talk on the east coast that he was thinking over a highly lucrative move to former club Hull KR.

"We've been well aware of the enormous interest in Stanley, but I'm proud and delighted to say he's going absolutely nowhere" said Giants chief executive Ralph Rimmer today.

"Our talks with Stanley over an extension have been on-going from the time he picked up his injury in September.

"We deliberately kept these discussions under wraps, so that they could be conducted with the minimum of fuss.

"Tying up Stanley and Brandon Costin on longer-term contracts was a vital part of our future plans, and to have now achieved that objective is a massive boost.

"Everyone is well aware that these two are our main strike players, and knowing they will both be with us until 2005 at the earliest is a great feeling.

"We believe that the deal Stanley has just signed means he has now committed the rest of his top-flight career to the Giants.

"That in itself is a massive commitment, but the fact he has also agreed to move house to cut down on the travelling from Hull is a further sign of that.

"Stanley is always telling people how much he loves Huddersfield, the club and the fans, and I think he has just demonstrated that as strongly as he possibly could."

Gene has just completed what is arguably his most successful season in the British game.

Up until suffering a fractured cheekbone in the Sky TV clash at Castleford in the closing weeks of the season he was a genuine contender - as well as Costin - for Super League's Man of Steel award.

During Super League VIII he had picked up Super League's official Player of the Month award for June and was also named Opta Super League Player of the Week on two occasions.

He backed that up by gaining selection to Opta's Super League Dream Team, along with Costin.

And with such a pedigree it's not surprising new Giants head coach Jon Sharp is delighted.

"Stanley's news is fantastic," said Sharp.

"As well as being able to create things out of nothing, he's also got a good footballing brain and can read the plays superbly.

"He's unnaturally powerful and is a danger to any defence.

"But his added ingredient is that with opposition defences having to watch his every step, he can help create other gaps for his teammates to exploit.

"I'm really looking forward to working with Stanley again, he's someone who excites me and excites the fans.

"Today's news is great."