JUST IN: SUPER LEAGUE HEAD COACH REVEALS NEW SIGNING…….
Head coach of Hull KR Willie Peters has acknowledged that his team has to add depth at half-back, but he has been keen to emphasize that the Super League team would take care to ensure they recruit the correct half-back.
With rising star Mikey Lewis coming off an impressive series for England, Jordan Abdull hoping to start the season healthy, and new signing Tyrone May arriving after leading Catalans Dragons to the Grand Final, the Robins were the envy of much of Super League going into 2024 in terms of their playmakers.
Rovers had three legitimate starters which will have created a good problem to have for Willie Peters, particularly in light of the club’s injury crisis in the position last season when Abdull and Rowan Milnes both went down.
Due to that situation, the club signed Brad Schneider, who proved to be a revelation. However, after an amazing stint on Humberside, the Australian immediately went home, and now that Abdull has made a surprise loan transfer to Catalans, Rovers are once again lacking in the position.
Wakefield Trinity head coach Daryl Powell put an end to rumors that the team was interested in Luke Gale, and Willie Peters later told Serious About Rugby League that no offer had ever been made for the former Man of Steel.
Nevertheless, Peters did confirm that the club were actively seeking a back-up in the position and that they’ll continue to do so stating “that number 18 is for a half-back”.
Hull KR set to fill vacant number 18 shirt
Although Peters has since acknowledged that the number 18 has been expressly reserved for a backup half, the Robins had previously stated that it had been left empty to make room for a new acquisition when they revealed their squad numbers for 2024.
Jimmy Keinhorst, a utility back for the Championship York Knights, wore the shirt last year. According to Peters, the empty jersey will now be kept for “someone that’s going to add value.”
We had some depth there with Jordan, and that depth has been somewhat taken away, but as you say, we want to wait for the right individual because we proved last year that doing so was also beneficial. He continued.
“We can still get another forward with the cap space we have here. Money is still available for that. We shall thus wait and make sure that individual is there as well.
However, that 18 is meant for a halfback. At first, Jordan was a member of our group and was expected to engage in combat with Tyrone and Mikey. We thus need someone to take his position, someone who wants to join the team and stick around. Thus, we will be searching for a halfback as that is what we require.
New Hull KR signing likely to be from Super League
Peters pointed out that the team has already used up all seven of its foreign quota spaces in its quest of a half-back.
Later in 2023, they adjusted their quota players, releasing Rhys Kennedy to make room for Kelepi Tanginoa, a new signing from Wakefield Trinity, who had been demoted.
But with the return of two more important players to the Super League, Peta Hiku and Jai Whitbread, the team no longer has a quota space available.
Peters discussed how the lack of a quota restricts the team’s hunt for a half-back and regrettably means that no Brad Schneider-caliber acquisition could be made.
When asked if it would be possible to go after the NRL market, he replied, “Our quotas are full.” Therefore, we are searching for a half that is English-born or based, and that is outside of the quotas. We are thus open to receiving something from someone in Australia or from here.
That would suggest that the team will either need to hire players from England, as was the case with the signing of Tom Deakin of the Huddersfield Giants, or they identified an NRL rookie who was born in England.
Now that they are contenders, KR probably won’t be considering the Championship level, thus their Super League replacement will probably come from there.
According to Peters, the club would just bide its time until a circumstance arose, at which point it would ideally attempt to sign its guy.
In some circumstances, it’s probably preferable for athletes to move on and look for opportunities elsewhere. Thus, that’s what we’re considering,” the Hull KR general manager said.
“We’re just keeping an eye out for any developments that could indicate that players aren’t getting opportunities, that the club believes they’re probably no longer a good fit for that club, or anything else.”
For now though the club will enter the season without an established back-up in the halves, although the versatility of Peta Hiku and the fact Niall Evalds can cover the Kiwi at full-back indicates the strength that Rovers do have across the field.
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