COUGARS have 19 players signed up for next season following yesterday's news that Scott Law and Andy Gabriel have penned deals to keep them at the club in 2018.

Prop Law joined Keighley from Rochdale Hornets in 2008 and is nearing his 200th appearance for Cougars.

His new contract will make him the club's second longest-serving player behind Brendon Rawlins, who last weekend also penned an extension for next season.

Winger Gabriel has continued to impress this year having burst on the scene in 2015.

He has formed a deadly left side partnership with Adam Ryder this season, scoring 19 tries in a 37-try partnership with him.

Centre Hamish Barnes has also committed his future to Cougars next year but winger Vinny Finigan has been released from his contract, while Ben Sagar has announced he is retiring at the end of the current campaign.

The homegrown second-rower, who converted from being a winger, has become a regular in the side this season following a two-year spell out of the game following the birth of his daughter and work commitments.

Sagar made his Cougars debut in 2009 and went on to win several player of the year awards under then coach Jason Demetriou.

Over his two spells with the club, Sagar has made 84 appearances in red, white and green.

Meanwhile, a busy period involving personnel for next year's squad has seen Cougars sign up on-loan prop Trae O'Sullivan permanently from Batley Bulldogs.

And half-back Benn Hardcastle has also signed from Newcastle Thunder for 2018.

A considerable threat with the ball in hand and from the kicking tee, Hardcastle is Thunder’s all-time record points scorer after breaking Paul Thorman’s previous record inside just 55 games.

This season has also seen the half-back set the Newcastle club record for points in a game as he registered 28 of his side’s 52 in a victory away at Oxford RL in June.

Hardcastle arrives at Cougar Park following four years in the North East either side of a year with the York City Knights in 2014 after coming through the youth system at Hull Kingston Rovers.