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Chiefs opinion: Gareth Steenson and Exeter Chiefs are not finished yet

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Has there been a player who has achieved so much for Exeter Chiefs yet divided opinion among supporters as much as Gareth Steenson? The fly-half has racked up the points since making the switch to Sandy Park in 2008 from the Cornish Pirates. That followed two high-scoring seasons in the second tier, firstly for Rotherham and latterly the Penzance-based club. Steenson kept that going with 228 points in the league in his first season with the Chiefs and 280 as he helped guide the club to promotion to the top flight. He may have found himself warming the bench more often than not in the 2011/12 campaign but he has now scored 1,286 points in the league for the Chiefs – with only Tony Yapp having scored more with 1,526. The chances are that the Irishman will break that tally now that he has signed up until the end of the 2017/18 season. That will see Steenson complete 10 years' service with the club. But while everyone was singing his praises after his record-equalling nine penalties in Saturday's win against Saracens, it hasn't always been that way for the No. 10. While his kicking prowess has never been in doubt, his defensive displays and ability to run an attacking and expansive game plan have been questioned. The mark of the man is that he has worked tirelessly on improving his game right from the moment he stepped into Sandy Park. Someone who watched a lot of him playing for the Pirates came to Sandy Park for the cross-Tamar derby in his first season with the Chiefs. Even after that short amount of time they were impressed at how much his game has developed. That has continued ever since, with Steenson running the show as Exeter go from strength to strength. His defence has certainly got better, there can be no doubts as to his attacking abilities now and he was also adept under the high ball against Saracens. When speaking about the fly-half's new three-year contract, head coach Rob Baxter could not have been any more effusive in his praise. And his seniority within the squad was also shown in the fact he was named captain for the game in La Rochelle. Steenson and the Chiefs have achieved a lot together, and there is still more to come.

Chiefs opinion: Gareth Steenson and Exeter Chiefs are not finished yet


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