21 February 2024 , 15:51
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Hull KR have captured Sydney Roosters and New Zealand prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves on a one-year deal - with big thanks to Robins legend Shaun Kenny-Dowall.
The hard-hitting three-time NRL Premiership winner will arrive at Craven Park ahead of the 2025 Betfred Super League season and is another sign of the club’s growing intent. Enforcer Waerea-Hargeaves, 35, is one of the sport’s greatest forwards and has enjoyed an illustrious career so far.
And it’s his links with former KR captain Kenny-Dowall - now on Willie Peters’ coaching staff after his retirement last year - that proved crucial in seeing him choose the Robins.
They were part of the same Roosters side that won the 2013 NRL title as well as Kiwis team-mates and Waerea-Hargreaves said: “‘My best mate is Shaun Kenny-Dowall; I played nearly ten seasons with Skids. When he went over to Hull, we stayed in contact and he’s spoken highly of Hull KR and the people in the club.
“It’s being a part of what I wanted to do. Now that this opportunity is here, it’s very exciting. Once we started talking about it happening, it moved quickly. We started talking about it in November last year, we met up in Paris for the Rugby Union World Cup Final and he asked what I was up to and said the opportunity was there (at Hull KR) and here we are now. I rang Willie and I rang Skids and said let’s make it happen.”
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Waerea-Hargeaves, who has represented the Kiwis 33 times and also won three World Club Challenges with Roosters, said: “It’s exciting. I’ve had a good couple of chats with Willie. He’s a great man and I’m really looking forward to playing for Hull KR and him in 2025.
“The team has been building for a number of years. They were successful last year but fell short in the Challenge Cup Final. We’ve got a really strong squad this season and from the win over Hull you can see they’re training really hard. For myself, my wife and the kids, we're looking forward to coming over as a family, knuckling down and enjoying the North of England.
Sydney Roosters' Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Getty Images)"I’ve played a number of years in the UK with New Zealand, coming away internationally. I’ve loved England, I love how passionate the people are. I love the working-class city of Hull; it’s been on my radar for a couple of years. Now it’s official, it’s very exciting.”
He has made almost 300 NRL appearances for Roosters since joining them from Manly in 2010. Peters added: “The initial conversations started from Jared’s strong relationship with Shaun Kenny-Dowall. Shaun and I had conversations in the off-season on how we’d love to get Jared to the club. I have the upmost respect for Jared. He’s arguably one of the best front-rowers to player the game in the NRL. Jared’s biggest strength is he’s a leader of men.
“There’s not many front-rowers that can change games or swing momentum like Jared can. Jared has single-handedly done this over the years. Jared is a player everyone wants to play with and the contribution he’ll make off the field is priceless. He’s going to help our younger players come through and help our senior players become better leaders. He’s going to bring so much to us on and off the field. He’s a proven winner in the NRL and we can’t wait for him to join up with the club.”