Barrow Raiders have brought in a player with bags of Super League experience after signing former Hull Kingston Rovers forward Lee Jewitt for the 2020 season.

Jewitt becomes the third new player to arrive at Craven Park, joining his fellow props Connor Terrill and Carl Forster in the Raiders’ attempt to win promotion back to the Betfred Championship next year.

The 32-year-old’s arrival represents a return to the professional ranks after he was released by Hull KR, where he played alongside Barrovian Ryan Shaw, in May following a succession of injury problems.

He was advised to go on an extended break from taking to the field, after only making three appearances in 2019, but his experience and leadership should prove invaluable in League One.

Rugby director Andy Gaffney said: “Lee Jewitt is a real marquee signing. He’s played in many Super League games, even though he only played three for Hull KR this year.

“He’s always played in the Super League and to have a player of that calibre come here to Barrow, I think, is a real steel.

“He’s really tough, he’s eager to get going and he’ll bring a real professionalism to the camp, especially in the dressing room, which I think we need.

“With players like him and Jordan Walne, who’ve played at a top level, they’ll help some of the youngsters we’ve brought in, like Connor Terrill.

“Lads like that are privileged to have someone of his calibre around the dressing room and the camp and he’ll really help to push us on.”

Jewitt began his career in Wigan Warriors’ academy and went on to make two appearances for their first team before embarking on a successful six years with Salford in 2007.

After playing in over 100 games for the Red Devils, he spent the next two seasons in France with Limoux Grizzlies before returning to the Super League with Castleford Tigers.

He played in the 2014 Challenge Cup final for the Tigers, their first in 28 years, when they were beaten 23-10 by Leeds Rhinos at Wembley.

A brief spell in Australia at Townsville then followed, but after his family found it difficult to adjust, he came back to England once again to join Hull KR in June 2017.

He helped the Robins win promotion from the Championship three months later, but the rest of his time at the other Craven Park became disrupted by injuries.

Gaffney said: “We were just looking for forwards and myself and Cresta [head coach Paul Crarey] made a cheeky approach to him and we’d been in dialogue with him for two or three weeks.

“I spoke to him numerous times on the phone, I’ve been down to see him and he wanted to come back to the game and we’ve just given him a platform now.

“He’s really buzzing about coming to Barrow and so are the lads.”