He's embroiled in one of the most fierce battles just for a place on the team but Kelepi Tanginoa insists he has no qualms with proving he's worth a place in the Hull KR side.

The back-rower proved to be a popular addition at Sewell Group Craven Park last year after an impressive first season with the club, producing some standout performances for Willie Peters' side.

But the arrival of Rhyse Martin from Leeds Rhinos has changed the complexion of Rovers' back-row roster, with a high-profile player almost certain to miss out on a place in the side.

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Tanginoa and Martin are locked in a battle with James Batchelor - and three can only go into two.

But Tanginoa, who scored 10 tries in 30 games last year, has welcomed the competition ahead.

"It's what you need to build a successful side," he said. "To get where we want to be this year we need that competition. Rhyse will add a lot of good things to the team. I know him as a bloke, I've played with him and know what he can bring to the team."

Tanginoa's preparations started well before the pre-season began, spending the off-season ensuring he reported back for duty lighter than he had the year before.

"It was my goal to come back lighter because last year, I came into the club and got injured during the pre-season. So I came back lighter and I did a lot of running in the off-season, just to keep my body healthy. I'm enjoying it at the moment, the training is always going to be hard but it's also different because you're learning from the experienced players that have come in.

"It's been a step further than last year with the intensity but we want to build on what we did last year, so that's what we need. When you bring people in like Jared, good-quality players and people, having them around lifts the training. And to be fair, the boys came back fit from day one. That drives the level. It's good for everyone."

As it stands, Tanginoa is unsure what his role will look like in 2025. At the start of last year, he was a starter under Peters before transitioning to a bench role, tasked with making an impact from the 20 minute mark.

"We weren't planning that role last year," Tanginoa admitted. "The first three rounds I played 80 minutes. But my role changed depending on what the team needed. At the time it was best for me to come off the bench.

"This year, I'm not sure how that looks. I'm always going to be a back-rower and will train that way but my role will depend on how we want to play this year. I don't really mind as long as I'm there."

But one role he doesn't expect to take on is that in the middle, a position he did play during his time at Wakefield Trinity.

"At Wakey we had a small pack and didn't have many players who could take us forward. We always relied on David Fifita and Tinirau Arona. The only option was to push me in the middle and put someone in the back-row. I understand that because at Wakey, we weren't working with much so it was needed, but here we've got great depth in the props."

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