Hull KR secure Jared Waerea-Hargreaves for 2025

Hull KR are excited to announce the club has signed three-time NRL Premiership winner, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves on a one-year deal for the 2025 Betfred Super League season.

Having captured ten major honours in his illustrious 16-year NRL career, ‘JWH’ will head over to East Hull at the end of the current season and link up with Willie Peters’ men for 2025.

Born in Rotoura, New Zealand, Waerea-Hargreaves made his NRL debut in 2009, first playing for the Manly Sea Eagles before joining Sydney Roosters, helping the Bondi club to a period of NRL dominance in the mid 2010s.

Having never played rugby league before joining the Eagles, the 35-year-old has won everything available throughout his 298 NRL appearances in the Southern Hemisphere. Jared and current Robin, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, secured the Roosters’ NRL Minor Premiership and their first NRL Grand Final win in 11 years in 2013.

The New Zealand test prop went on to capture two more NRL Premierships, three more Minor Premierships and three World Club Challenges for the Roosters, becoming a club legend for the Tricolours. During his time in the NRL, Waerea-Hargreaves went on to make 33 appearances for the New Zealand national side, helping the Kiwis to the 2013 Rugby League World Cup Final.

A proven leader at the highest level, Jared is known for his imposing presence in the pack, in both attack and defence. Waerea-Hargreaves will add further steel to the Robins’ middle as Hull KR Head Coach, Willie Peters brings one of the NRL’s greatest prop forwards to Super League.

The 35-year-old will bring a wealth of experience to Hull KR and the side’s pack as they head into their prime years.

Speaking on the move, Waerea-Hargreaves said: ‘It’s exciting. I’ve had a good couple of chats with Willie. He’s a great man and I’m really looking forward to playing for Hull KR and him in 2025.

‘The team has been building for a number of years. 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 their training really hard.

‘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’ve played a number of years in the UK with New Zealand, coming away internationally. I’ve loved England, I love how passionate the people are.

‘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.’

The initial sparks of the three-time Grand Final Winner’s move to Hull KR go back to the night of the 2023 Rugby Union World Cup Final in Paris.

Jared highlighted his chat with current Hull KR Development Coach, Shaun Kenny-Dowall as key to the move: ‘My best mate is Shaun Kenny-Dowall, I played nearly ten 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 being a part of what I wanted to do. Now that this opportunity is here, it’s very exciting. 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 and I rang Skids and said let’s make it happen.’

Waerea-Hargreaves is embracing the new challenge with a familiar face in Shaun Kenny-Dowall on the club’s coaching staff: ‘It’s going to be different. We have that respect for what we’ve done in the game. We’ve known each other long enough to have that respect.

‘I can’t wait. To be on the other side of the world in the North of England and be able to go to a place like Hull and do some special things with Hull KR is exciting.’

Ahead of his move, Jared outlined what he’ll bring to the Robins’ playing group for 2025: ‘This will be my 16th season in the NRL, and I’ve got a fair bit of experience. I’ve played in the big games and I 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.

‘I’m a really passionate player. It’s something that’s been instilled in me from a young age. My parents taught me to work hard and fight for everything.

‘It’s a fresh change and a new start for me. Meeting new faces with different teammates I think it’s a really opportunity to come to the club and earn the respect of the players, staff and the people. I’m there to do good and be successful. That’s only a few months away, I'm looking forward to getting over to Hull in November.’

Hull KR Head Coach, Willie Peters spoke to hullkr.co.uk on being delighted with the move and welcoming one of the NRL’s most decorated props to the club for 2025: ‘The initial conversations started from Jared’s strong relationship with Shaun Kenny-Dowall. Shaun and I had conversations in the off-season on how we’d love to get Jared to the club. ‘

‘I have the upmost respect for Jared. He’s arguably one of the best front-rowers to player 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.’

Player Biography

Name: Jared Waerea-Hargreaves

Date of Birth: 20th January 1989

Place of Birth: Rotorua, New Zealand

Position: Prop Forward

Junior Club: Iona College

Height: 193cm

Weight: 116kg

Previous Clubs: Manly Sea Eagles, Sydney Roosters

NRL Games: 298

NRL Tries: 16

NRL Debut: Manly Sea Eagles vs Brisbane Broncos, Sunday May 10th 2009, Suncorp Stadium