Hull KR head coach Willie Peters has revealed how his side beat a Super League rival in the race to sign Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
The front-rower has been a key member of the current Sydney Roosters side and has won three Premierships with them, in his over 300 appearances.
He has also made 33 appearances for New Zealand’s national team.
It was reported by The Sydney Morning Herald that he spoke to Catalans Dragons head coach Steve McNamara during the World Cup in England in 2022.
However, last year, he spoke to Hull KR assistant coach Shaun Kenny-Dowall, who he played with for New Zealand and the Roosters for many years, and said he would be interested in a move.
How Hull KR signed NRL icon
Credit: Richard Long/News Images
Now, Peters has said, via Fox League: “I remember when we first moved over here, Kera (his partner, a Roosters fan) said to me, ‘are we any chance of getting Jared’, and I was like, ‘sure, that’s never going to happen.
“When there was talk of Jared going to Catalans, I said to ‘Skidsy’ (Kenny-Dowall), ‘we have to at least give it a shot’.
“Nothing came of it, but then at the end of last year, Skidsy came up to me and said Jared was keen to talk.
“We ended up speaking a couple of times. He was a man’s man, we were honest about what we wanted from him, and he told us how he wanted to come here, make a difference and win.”
He added: “Jared handled everything at his end with the Roosters. He went straight through the front door and was upfront with them. It didn’t take long to get the deal done at all.”
One key concern from some about this move is the fact that Waerea-Hargreaves has had a number of bans across his career – including a big one as recently as last month.
However, Peters said: “You want Jared to be Jared. You also want to make sure he’s on the field.
“Jared will always go close to that line, but some of the best players in the world have been like that. We can’t wait to have him.”
