Jordan Johnstone is returning to Widnes Vikings on a two-year deal from 2023.
Johnstone, 25, has spent the past three seasons in Super League with Hull FC, where he has made 56 appearances, after leaving the Vikings at the end of 2019.
He had been an ever present in that season before sadly suffering injury at Wembley in the 1895 Cup final against Sheffield which turned out to be the last of his 66 games for the club so far.
The Whitehaven-born hooker first linked up with Widnes in 2015 from the Cumbria regional academy system and made his Super League debut away at Catalans in April 2016.
Johnstone said: “I’m over the moon. I first spoke to the club a few months ago when they touched base to see what my plans were and here I am today. I didn’t really go any further after I spoke to Phil and the club, I’m happy to be back. It’s a new chapter in my life, I’ve been away and done the things I’ve done. I couldn’t be any happier in the town now and moving back with my young family.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for the club and the people within it. This was the club that gave me the opportunity to fulfil a childhood dream and play Super League rugby from a young age. I’m indebted to the club in that sense and couldn’t be happier to be back and hopefully give my best years of rugby back to the club because I feel like I owe them that at least for what they’ve done for me.
“I’m really excited to get going again and November, and the start of pre-season, can’t come quick enough.”
‘JJ’ becomes the second new signing for John Kear’s squad for 2023, following on from another Cumbrian, prop Kyle Amor who joins from St Helens.
Signings like these are only possible due to the generosity of our supporters using subscription schemes like VIQI and Widnes VIPs
