Oliver Cook

And Tigers have second team coach and former Doncaster player Rich Senior to thank for tipping them off about 6ft 4ins Cook’s availability.

“Rich had been talking to someone back in Doncaster who was surprised when the Knights announced they had released Cook and that I should give him a ring,” said Tigers’ team manager, Geoff Roberts.

“So I rang him up, we had a chat and in no time he agreed to join us. He was full-time at ‘Donny’ but has decided to return to playing part-time and go back to his job as a graphic designer, working for his dad’s company in Leeds.

“We see him as a replacement for Jon Skurr at Number 8, and with Juan Crous committing along with Adam Newton we already have size, power and athleticism in our back row options.”

Also re-signed is a player with even more size, second team lock Dean Williams, who stands 7ft tall and weighs in at 20st!

“’Deano’ certainly made an impression in the second team’s championship winning season and although he is a little rough around the edges we believe that with his size and natural ability it won’t take too much work to make him a valuable member of the first team squad,” added Roberts.

It is also understood that ball-carrying prop Petrus Du Plessis has re-signed, while another front-rower, Gerallt Evans, who missed the whole of last season with a cruciate ligament injury, should be back to full fitness by October. Sale’s young prop Danny Birchall may also get more opportunities to show what he can do.

The Tigers are in talks with both Leeds Carnegie and the Sharks regarding further loan signings and Leeds youngster Danny White, who played for the Tigers last season, is one of those on the Tigers’ radar.

• PROP Petrus Du Plessis has been named in the England Counties squad to tour Canada and USA next month. The South African-born front rower is the only Tiger in the touring party.