As Hull KR announced their signings for 2024, the arrival of Niall Evalds was met with scepticism. Evalds was arriving from Castleford Tigers, where he had endured a particularly difficult period with injuries and had managed just 17 games in two seasons.
Among overseas signings such as Peta Hiku and Tyrone May, Evalds, whose former clubs also included Salford Red Devils, certainly wasn’t a headline-grabber. More so, it was advertised that he would be signed as a winger, a position he hadn’t played regularly since the early years of his career.
A few months later, and it could be argued that Evalds has been Rovers’ best signing. Since moving into his preferred fullback position, the 30-year-old has produced a string of excellent performances and played a major role in a Hull KR team that has scored more tries than any other team in the competition.
The statistics back up Evalds’ importance. Super League’s leader for assists, he is also the joint leader for overall try contributions, having delivered 20 in twelve appearances. Only one other player, England fullback Jack Welsby, has been able to set the pace with him so far.
Evalds has revitalised his career at Craven Park, and, right now, the Robins are benefiting from that too. His pace and support play have ensured Rovers have turned breaks into points, but his passing abilities, often overlooked due to his run threat, have proven key too.
“I looked back to when he was on fire at Salford and what he did there,” Peters said reflecting on the decision to sign him. “I’m a big believer that you don’t become a bad player overnight, and if you look at Niall, when he was at Cas and the injuries he had, he wasn’t on the field, and people forget pretty quickly.
“When I saw he could be available and I looked at his history in the game, I thought it could be a really handy pick-up. When Pet came, we knew he’d get the first opportunity at fullback. Niall knew that and wanted to back himself, and his management said he was happy with that, which was great.
“He looked at himself as a fullback, and I certainly did as well, so he hasn’t surprised us at all. I still think there’s more in Niall, and when I say that, we challenged him at the weekend in certain ways, and he responded.
“He’s a quiet guy off the field, so we want to get him more local, but when Niall is around and touching the ball, our attack is strong; there’s no secret about that.”
Most encouraging for Rovers has been the fact that Evalds has remained injury-free, with any concerns over his medical history gradually evaporating. Instead, Rovers currently have a Lance Todd-winning fullback who is fully firing, and from a Rovers standpoint, long may that continue.
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