Ex-Roosters teammate predicts suspension issues for Hull KR star signing

Former Roosters teammate Luke Keary has cast concern over Hull KR star signing Jared Waerea-Hargreaves’ ability to stay on the field in 2025.

Kiwi enforcer JWH will join Hull KR with a disciplinary record as long as your arm and that’s seen his former Sydney Roosters teammate Luke Keary bid him ‘good luck’ as both men set about their first campaign in Super League.

Waerea-Hargreaves has landed in England already after signing for the Robins whilst Keary, who has signed for Catalans Dragons, will arrive very soon.

Before jetting off to Super League, Keary appeared on James Graham’s The Bye Round podcast to discuss all things rugby league and that included a tangent on how the new Hull KR recruit will fare in terms of discipline in 2025.

‘Exactly what I’m expecting next year’ – Hull KR signing touted for disciplinary trouble in 2025

Keary has signed a two-year deal with Catalans Dragons whilst his former Roosters teammate will be representing Hull KR for the 2025 season. It’s not the first time either man has played in the Northern Hemisphere though with both featuring at the 2021 World Cup (held in 2022).

Playmaker Keary represented Ireland, who were knocked out in the group stage, whereas Waerea-Hargreaves’ New Zealand made it all the way to the semi-finals.

Despite that, Keary played far more than his Roosters teammate with the new Hull KR man copping a huge suspension in the game against Keary’s Ireland, something that the new Catalans man has forecasted could happen in 2025.

Asked if he had played against the Kiwi, Keary responded: “Ooh yeah, he came on and knocked out one of our front rowers and got sent off.

“He played ten minutes and got suspended for another six weeks, which is exactly what I’m expecting next year.”

Waerea-Hargreaves’ disciplinary record is well-documented with the prop earning four bans in 2024 and there are concerns that he could struggle under Super League’s tighter laws, something he recently spoke about when unveiled as a Hull KR signing.

Detailing that incident back in 2022, Keary explained: “He came on, knocked out our front rower Dan Norman and got sin binned. He went off, came back on and then got suspended for the rest of the tournament.

“He’d also been suspended coming into that game, that was his first game back.

“Good luck over there”.

James Graham, no stranger to some ferocious tackles also weighed in: “We have spoken about concussion and lowering the tackle height and I don’t know how that is going to work next year with the poster boy.”

Super League signing recalls World Cup as ‘proudest few weeks’

Keary’s comments on the Hull KR recruit were part of a wider conversation about his involvement with Ireland at that World Cup, something that Keary spoke about glowingly despite their early exit.

“I loved it. It was so good,” the 32-year-old said.

“I think I was meant to play in ’17 but because I was moving to the Roosters, I had to say no.

“Dad’s side of the family, who all live in Galway, all came over for one of the games and it was so cool. It felt to me that representing Australia was the highest honour but to represent your culture and put that jersey on was such a cool experience.”

The Irish team comprised of plenty of others who weren’t necessarily born on Irish soil but Keary claimed that the connection within the squad was ‘as good as it gets’ as he reflected with pride.

The Catalans recruit said: “They were some of the proudest few weeks where I got to represent that side of the family.

“In footy terms, it was hard to get all these people from different skill levels onto the same page but off the field, it was as good as it gets.”