Incoming Hull KR head coach Willie Peters confirms three NRL signings for 2023

Incoming Hull KR head coach Willie Peters has confirmed that three NRL players will link up with him for the 2023 season in Super League.

Peters will take charge of the club from Tony Smith for the 2023 season on a three-year deal.

He revealed the new signings speaking with reporter Barry Toohey on his podcast, ‘Toohey’s News’. 

The 43-year-old confirmed that trio Tom Opacic, Rhys Kennedy and Sauaso Sue will join him at Craven Park in 2023. 

Opacic and Kennedy had both previously been linked with a move to Super League. Sue, 30, will make the move from Newcastle Knights, where Peters is currently assistant coach.

Peters said: “There’s a good balance between experience; there’s Ryan Hall who plays for England, Shaun Kenny-Dowall has just re-signed and from all reports he’s an exceptional leader. He was also at the Knights and still playing really good footy. Lachlan Coote is over there playing full-back and is a winner. There’s some experienced players there.

“Then there’s some youth like Mikey Lewis. There’s some exciting times ahead.

“The thing for me wasn’t to go and get rid of all these players, it was to maintain and keep the experience that was there and bring a couple players in.

“We’ll bring a few more from over here next year which will add to what they’re doing at the moment.

“There’s three spots and the guys we’re going to get over there, one is Rhys Kennedy, the other is Jesse (Sauaso) Sue and the other is Top Opacic. They’ll add to what we’re doing.”

The three will bring plenty of experience to the side, having played a combined 285 games in the NRL.

It means that Albert Vete, Korbin Sims and Brad Takairangi are likely to leave the club to free up quota spots. All three players are off-contract beyond 2022.

R