Widnes Vikings have announced the immediate signing of Ryan Lannon from Halifax Panthers on a deal until the end of 2025.
The former Hull KR and Salford man arrives having rejoined the Panthers ahead of the start of last season, he has scored three tries across 47 appearances in his two spells with Halifax, and will now link up with head coach Allan Coleman at the Vikings.
Lannon, 28, plays primarily as a second-row or loose forward and comes in at an important time of the season as the Vikings look to continue their push for a play-off spot.
He has made a total of 166 career appearances, scoring 15 tries.
On his arrival, Lannon said: “I’m really excited to be here, I’ve been in contact for the last couple of days so I just can’t wait to get going now.
“Widnes is a big club and it looks like it’s building back to where it has been in the past, so I’m really looking forward to getting in and contributing to that.
“My conversations with Allan (Widnes head coach, Allan Coleman) have been really good. I played a couple of games under him at Swinton last year and I really liked what he was about and how he gets you motivated for a game.”
He added: “One of the big reasons I joined here was to have the opportunity to play in those big games at the business end of the season.
“Hopefully Widnes can kick on now and I can contribute to cementing that playoff spot.”
Head Coach Allan Coleman said: “It’s fantastic to get Ryan. We had him for next year but we’ve been pushing to get him on board for the remainder of this year.
“He fits in with our system really well, I had him at Swinton for a couple of games on loan and he was really good for me. He’s got a lot of experience, he’s very good on his feet and great defensively.
“He’s just a leader, which is vital for me as he fits in nicely with how we want our middles to be.
“I’m over the moon to get him on board and to get him playing with us straight away.”
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