Leeds Rhinos have confirmed the signing of hooker Kruise Leeming on a two-year deal.
As revealed first in League Express, the Rhinos have completed the signing of the Swaziland-born talent from Huddersfield as part of a swap deal that will see Owen Trout go the other way.
The Giants will receive an undisclosed fee as part of the deal.
Leeming, 24, handed in a transfer request last month, with Huddersfield agreeing to let him leave once a club met their valuation.
That has now happened, with Leeming becoming the club’s third major signing of the off-season, following Luke Gale and former Giants team-mate Alex Mellor to the club.
“I am excited to be joining the Rhinos and looking forward to the future,” Leeming said.
“I would like to thank everyone at the Giants who have supported me down the years and I wish the club well in the years ahead. I am looking forward to running out at Emerald Headingley as a Leeds Rhinos player, it is an amazing atmosphere when you are an opposition player, so I can only imagine how good it will feel to be a Rhinos player.
“We have got great competition at the club for the hooking role with Brad Dwyer and Corey Johnson but I think that is great for the Rhinos. As a professional player you thrive off that challenge and I am sure we will all work together to get the best possible result for the team.”
Leeds’ director of rugby Kevin Sinfield said: “We are delighted to have secured Kruise. He is an exciting, young English player who has played over a hundred games in Super League and impressed our coaching staff. He will join our squad in pre-season training with immediate effect and I am sure he will be a great addition to our squad.
“I would like to thank Owen Trout for his efforts at the Rhinos, he had a taste of first team rugby last season at Dewsbury and Featherstone and I am sure he will relish the challenge of a new club at the Giants.”
