Recruitment off to a good start at KR
After a miserable 2020 season, there is light at the end of the tunnel for Hull KR supporters. March 15 was the last time Rovers fans were inside a stadium and since then they have seen their side win just twice amid a draining pandemic.
For many the end of 2020 cannot come soon enough and KR are working hard behind the scenes to raise optimism for a brighter year on the field as well as off it.
This week’s business is as good as it gets for a side that propped up Super League this season.
A club in KR’S position were never going to sign a player fresh from scoring 20 tries or a prop who played week in, week out for Melbourne Storm.
There will be an element of risk to the club’s business in the off-season, which is a consequence of their struggles on the field.
Albert Vete and Ryan Hall have spent more time on the sidelines than the pitch in the past two years but they can only be viewed as quality additions.
Whereas Vete is coming into his prime as a prop, Hall is in the twilight of his career as he prepares to celebrate his 33rd birthday later this month.
The former Leeds Rhinos winger is likely to end his playing days at Craven Park but there is no chance of him coasting towards retirement.
Hall is a consummate professional, prides himself on being in good shape and will be highly motivated after seeing his career stall in Australia.
England’s all-time record tryscorer made only 11 appearances during his two years with Sydney Roosters.
It may have been very different had Hall not sustained an ACL injury weeks after signing for the Roosters in 2018.
That was the first major injury of Hall’s career and he went on to dislocate the same knee twice last year, the second occasion on international duty.
It is easy to forget that Hall represented Great Britain little over 12 months ago, an indication of the kind of player Rovers are getting.
Hall has saved some of his best performances for the big occasion, namely the 2014 Challenge Cup final and his battles with Australia and New Zealand.
He is not the same player who scored 233 tries in 330 appearances for the Rhinos but has the potential to transform the way Rovers play.
Tony Smith spoke last week about bringing in players who can get his team on the front foot on the first couple of tackles and he has got one of the best in the business in Hall.
Solid in the air and difficult to stop close to the tryline, the 32-year-old has the makings of a top-class signing working under two men he knows well in Smith and Danny Mcguire.
Like Vete, Hall is coming from an elite environment and will help raise standards at Craven Park.
It has been an encouraging start to KR’S off-season recruitment and offers hope for next season.
There is still uncertainty over whether fans will be allowed back inside stadiums when the 2021 Super League campaign kicks off.
But when Rovers supporters are eventually given the green light to return to Craven Park they can look forward to watching new signings with pedigree in red and white.