Hull KR snare Goulding but Pryce and Sneyd opt for switch to Hull

Goulding, 26, has penned a three-year deal, filling the void left by Sean Gleeson’s enforced retirement and also the loss of Wayne Ulugia. The troubled Australian was yesterday sacked for “repeated breaches of club discipline” barely 10 weeks into an 18-month contract.

Rovers were also thought to be interested in Pryce, the Catalan Dragons stand-off, but the ex-Great Britain star will link up with his former Bradford Bulls colleague Lee Radford at the KC Stadium on a two-year deal.

He will be joined there by Sneyd, the half-back who has been brilliant during a season-long loan at Castleford Tigers from Salford Red Devils.

The goalkicker, 23, was due back at his parent club next season but, after they signed ex-Hull KR scrum-half Michael Dobson from Newcastle Knights in readiness for 2015, he tabled a transfer request.

Salford owner Marwan Koukash would not let Oldham-born Sneyd leave for free, however, and so Hull have secured him with a “substantial” six-figure fee, outbidding Castleford who were keen to retain the gifted playmaker.

Bradford, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats and Featherstone Rovers were all keen on Yorkshireman Pryce, 32, who is ready to come home after three revitalising seasons in France.

But his long-standing friendship with the Hull coach has proved crucial in shaping the ex-St Helens’ star’s decision and so finally, after almost a decade of trying to find a suitable half-back partnership to replace Paul Cooke and Richard Horne and including a raft of failed overseas recruits, the Airlie Birds seem set to have secured a decent creative pairing to take them forward.

Clearly, it leaves big question marks over the futures of Australian halves Jacob Miller and Jordan Rankin and it would be no surprise if at least one of those players departed ahead of next season.

Goulding is Hull KR’s first capture for 2015 and, as a two-time Grand Final and Challenge Cup winner, a player who comes with class and vast experience.

Although still a Wigan regular, he wants a new challenge to “reignite” himself, something Ulugia blatantly failed to do, another drinking escapade seeing the gifted but flawed 22-year-old sacked for the second time this season after an earlier fall-out at North Queensland.

Goulding said: “I think I needed a new challenge at this stage of my career and there were a few clubs interested. I spoke to them all but the ambition at Hull KR really stood out.

“Speaking to Craig Sandercock and Chris Chester, it’s definitely a club that’s going places and the fact they wanted me so much was a really good feeling to have.

“I’d love to repay their faith in me by coming over and getting back to my best form again. It’s a new opportunity and one that I think will probably reignite me.

“I’ve been fortunate to be part of a lot of success at Wigan and that’s something I’d love to replicate at Rovers. I’d love to be pushing for success over the next couple of years and there’s no reason why we can’t.

“I’m also looking forward to the challenge of being one of the more experienced players in the outside backs and working with some of the young guys at the club as well.”

Featherstone’s much-publicised Super League ambitions, meanwhile, are in ruins after the sudden departure of the Championship club’s majority shareholder Feisal Nahaboo – after a disagreement with chairman Mark Campbell – and chief executive Craig Poskitt.