Hull KR boss Tim Sheens on transfer potential

The former Huddersfield Giants prop, 24, was released by mutual consent just under a fortnight ago and subsequently joined Championship club Barrow Raiders for 2019.

Although that has freed up wages, Sheens explained: “Johnson’s exit balances our salary cap off a little bit.

“We’ve got Lee (Jewitt) and Nick (Scruton) due back for props and in that area we’re good.

“We’re still a short squad but if everybody is fit, it’s a good squad too, the middles particularly.

“You always have one injured, one in suspension, that sort of thing, so you always need more than your standard middles.

“They cop a battering in the season so you need more than you have! But we’re well catered for when those two come back.”

Mose Masoe and Robbie Mulhern were the starting props in Friday’s derby win over Hull FC while new signing Mitch Garbutt had a fine impact off the bench and James Greenwood offered another middle option.

Sheens names his 19-man squad for Saturday’s trip to Warrington Wolves this afternoon and he is not envisaging too many alterations to the side that edged past their derby rivals 18-16 in the last minute.

“We’re healthy, that is a good start, and everybody that played last week is available,” he said.

“There’s no-one new back to put in that squad. We have one more session down in Manchester on Friday and then we’ll be ready to play.

“Lee is close, he’s one. I had Ryan Lannon, Ryan Shaw, Will Dagger, those sorts of guys available too. I think Lee will be another week, so we’ll be looking at that.”