Giant Parramatta Eels prop Kane Evans has been signed to strengthen NZ Warriors front-row next season under new coach Nathan Brown.
The club has announced Evans will come to Auckland on a two-year deal through to the end of the 2022 season.
Evans' signing adds to a bumper week of recruitment for the side, after also securing St George Illawarra Dragons centre Euan Aitken on a three-year deal.
The 1.99m, 110kg 28-year-old is one of the tallest players in the competition, and will bring a welcome dose of size and aggression to the Warriors pack, alongside fellow incoming recruit Ben Murdoch-Masila.
After excelling for Sydney Roosters in the National Youth Competition, Evans represented New South Wales U20s and Junior Kangaroos in 2012, before he was selected to Fiji’s squad for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.
Evans debuted for the Roosters early in 2014 and went on to play 74 first-grade games for the club, before signing with Parramatta for the 2018 season.
He has made seven appearances for the Eels so far this season, scoring one of their two tries in their 14-12 win over Cronulla Sharks on Sunday.
"Kane always played in winning teams during his junior days and he brings that winning culture with him," says Warriors recruitment manager Peter O'Sullivan.
"Through his time at the Roosters and Parramatta, he knows what this looks like and this was an ingredient we were keen to add to our squad.
"He is also a fantastic team man, who can galvanise teams with a sense of fun, and he engenders great enthusiasm into a group."
Warriors chief executive Cam George is as impressed with Evans' character as he is with his on-field abilities.
"He displays all the qualities we are looking for, and you could see the excitement in his eyes and hear the passion in his voice," George says.
"The experience he brings from his previous NRL clubs will be of great assistance to our group."
Aitken's contract is yet to be formally confirmed by the club, but he has taken to social media to announce his move.
But the Warriors weren't as lucky with Canterbury Bulldogs' Adam Elliott.
According to NRL.com, the back-rower spurned a lucrative three-year offer from the club, preferring to remain with his family in Sydney during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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