Shaun Lunt will be a Hull Kingston Rovers player in 2017.
The former England hooker has agreed to play for the Championship-bound club following talks with Jamie Peacock throughout the week.
Lunt, who won the Grand Final with Leeds in 2012 and the League Leaders’ Shield with Huddersfield in 2013, joined the Robins on loan in 2015 before making the switch permanent.
It is understood that several Super League clubs were keen to sign the hooker, but Lunt has instead decided to commit to the club alongside full-back Ben Cockayne.
“It was always my intention to stay at the club next season should the worst happen and I’m pleased that everything has been sorted out so quickly.
“As far as I’m concerned, I was part of the team that got the club relegated and I want to be part of the team that gets the club promoted back up to Super League again. I’m loving my rugby here at Hull KR, they’ve really looked after me and I’ve been playing with a smile on my face again.
“Saturday was the most disappointing day of my career but it’s happened now and we can’t change that. We’ve got to be positive about the future and I’m looking forward to having a break with my family over the next few weeks and then coming back fresh for pre-season intent on having a good crack at the Championship next year.”
KR Head of Rugby Peacock added: “Shaun is a hugely important player for us and he was one of the players in the squad we were most eager to keep.
“He’s a consistent performer, a leader out on the pitch and a true professional off the field so to have him on board for 2017 is a really big boost for the club and hopefully several more of his teammates will follow suit in the coming days.
“Those discussions are on-going and they’ll take different amounts of time for each player depending on their circumstances and what plans they had with their families during the off season.
“We have a plan in place in terms of how we will go about assembling the squad for next season. The support of sponsors and the response from supporters to the launch of 2017 memberships has been reassuring and allows us to plan for a certain level of salary cap commitment next season.
“We’d like to keep a core of the side from this year and to have an international-class hooker playing for us in the Championship next season is a really good start.
“For the staff in the football department to take a voluntary pay cut next season also demonstrates their commitment to the cause and it’s important that we all stick together and do everything we can to bounce back.”