Huddersfield Giants boss Jim Lenihan has revealed that the club have had conversations over another NRL signing, but a deal is far from agreed.
Tony Francis has been linked with a move to West Yorkshire over the past week, with Lenihan looking to bring in yet another familiar face.
Zane Dunford was his first signing, before Jamain Jolliffe was confirmed to have signed with the club for 2027.
Francis was part of the Gold Coast Titans squad when Lenihan was an assistant coach, so the pair know each other well.
However, whilst conversations have taken place, a contract is far from being signed.
Talking to BBC Radio Leeds ahead of the club’s trip to Toulouse, Lenihan said: “We’ve been speaking to him, but we’ve been speaking to a lot of people as well.
“A few things are up in the air, all over the place at the moment and certainly with the addition of the Perth Bears coming in and certainly with PNG coming in. It’s really spreading the player pool thin, there’s a lot of clubs stockpiling players at the moment.
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“It’s quite hard to make sure that you find the best people then you got to find the right people that fit your club too. Tony is someone that we’ve had some initial talks with, but it hasn’t probably progressed too much further than that.”
Asked to describe him as a player, Lenihan replied: “A really good boy, a big, strong runner off the back of the park. He’s been probably with me for probably three or four years when I was at the Titans… Really good guy, works really hard.
“He’ll certainly be a good addition wherever he plays. I think he’s still currently contracted at the Titans anyway, so it’s still a long way off any sort of movement in that situation.”
Huddersfield Giants boss offers humorous response to Daly Cherry-Evans’ Super League links
Another big piece of transfer news came in the shape of NRL veteran and modern-day great Daly Cherry-Evans, who has been tipped to join Hull FC.
Lenihan was asked if he was ever an option to the Giants, and what impact he will have on Super League, should he make the switch.
“He’s obviously a superstar player. There’s no doubt about his credentials and ability. He’d look really good in Claret and Gold, too!
“If he came over in England, we’d love him to drive the team bus, cut the grass, do the lines on the field, do all that sort of stuff, and then play on the weekend. We’ll give him the ball all the time!”
Hull FC are the club reported to be signing the former World Cup winner, but Lenihan joked that the Giants could potentially snatch him off their hands. “We’ll see how it goes,” he said.
