Willie Peters issues Hull KR recruitment update as Tyrone May situation detailed

Hull KR head coach Willie Peters admits the club are preparing to lose Tyrone May at the end of the year, but find themselves in a ‘catch 22’ situation in terms of timing on recruitment for his replacement.

Australian playmaker May joined KR from fellow Super League side Catalans Dragons ahead of the 2024 campaign, signing a two-year deal.

Now preparing to enter the final few months of that contract, he’s made no secret of his desire to return Down Under to the NRL and, ideally, play with his brothers.

The Robins have recently been linked with veteran half Adam Reynolds, whose contract Down Under at Brisbane Broncos is coming to an end.

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Willie Peters issues Hull KR recruitment update as Tyrone May situation detailed

With all of the above in mind, Peters was asked about May’s spot at Craven Park in 2026 during his pre-match press conference ahead of KR’s game against Wigan Warriors on Friday night.

Speaking on Tuesday afternoon, the KR boss detailed: “Paul Lakin (Hull KR CEO) and I discuss recruitment pretty much every day.

“We like to plan ahead, it’s worked for us in the past, but once a player gets past November/December (of the year prior to their contract ending), like Tyrone now…Tyrone’s available now for any team.

“We’ve had conversations around that, so at the moment the players that are off-contract naturally could get snapped up by another side and vice versa.

“We talk every day, at the moment we don’t have anything to openly say, but there are discussions around a lot of players internally that are ongoing.”

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‘We don’t know at the moment’

Two-time Samoa international May has scored six tries in 38 appearances for the Robins to date.

He is yet to secure his desired NRL deal for next year, leading to questions around whether he might actually remain at Craven Park.

Unable to shed any real light on that possibility, Peters said: “He could be, we don’t know at the moment.

“Tyrone’s openly said that he wants to go back and play with his brothers, he’s said that a number of times.

“If he’s waiting for an opportunity to open up, we obviously need to move and look at opportunities that pop up as a club (for other players), because you can’t just wait.

“If Tyrone ends up going back there and getting another club (and we haven’t signed a replacement), we miss the boat as well.

“There are discussions between Paul (Lakin) and myself, and at board level.

“We look at what’s available, and we’re fully aware of what Tyrone’s ambitions are and what he wants to do.

“Number one there is to play with his brothers. That’s not to say he won’t be here next year, because I don’t know.”

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