'Let’s make it happen': Jared Waerea-Hargreaves reveals Shaun Kenny-Dowall role in Hull KR move

Waerea-Hargreaves has made 298 appearances in the NRL, winning titles with Sydney Roosters in 2013, 2018 and 2019.

The 35-year-old will move to England after completing his 15th season at the Roosters, where he played alongside Kenny-Dowall in the first half of his career.

Kenny-Dowall, who also teamed up with Waerea-Hargreaves for New Zealand, joined the coaching staff at Craven Park following his retirement at the end of last year.

"My best mate is Shaun Kenny-Dowall," said Waerea-Hargreaves. "I played nearly 10 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 been a part of what I wanted to do. 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 (Peters, head coach) and Skids and said, 'Let’s make it happen.'"

Waerea-Hargreaves made his NRL debut for Manly Sea Eagles in 2009 before joining the Roosters at the end of his debut season.

The veteran front-rower heads into the 2024 campaign as the fourth most-capped player in the club’s history.

Waerea-Hargreaves, who has won the World Club Challenge on three occasions, earned 33 caps on the international stage with New Zealand.

The Kiwi enforcer is hoping to use his experience to help guide the Robins to silverware.

"The team has been building for a number of years," said Waerea-Hargreaves.

"They were successful last year but fell short in the 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.

"I’ve played in the big games and want to be able to support these guys in areas they need and be hands-on to do whatever it takes to bring as much positivity to the group as possible.

"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.

"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."

Waerea-Hargreaves has a poor disciplinary record in the NRL, with the forward charged 32 times by the match review committee.

Peters, however, is convinced he will have the desired impact at Craven Park.

"I have the upmost respect for Jared," said Peters.

"He’s arguably one of the best front-rowers to play 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."

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