SAMIR TAHRAOUI has rejoined Cougars after penning a deal with the club for next season.

The 6ft 6in prop joins from Rochdale Hornets, having spent time at Keighley on loan from Bradford Bulls in 2015, helping them reach the League One play-offs.

The Algerian-born powerhouse joined Rochdale for the 2016 season and was a regular as they went up to the Championship, pipping favourites Toulouse in the third tier's promotion final.

He played 11 times for Hornets in the Championship this year before joining York City Knights on loan in May – only for knee and thumb injuries to prevent him making an appearance for the Knights.

Cougars coach Craig Lingard said: "He is a big man, aggressive and certainly what we identified we needed to bring in.

"He has been involved in promotion from League One as well so I think it is an exciting announcement."

Tahraoui, 26, a former junior with Cheshire amateur club Crosfields and a Great Britain Students international, was on the books at Warrington and St Helens before having a spell in Australian regional rugby with Tweed Heads Seagulls.

He made his senior debut back in Britain with South Wales Scorpions in 2013 and joined Swinton that same year, helping them avoid relegation from the Championship.

Tahraoui then headed north to Cumbria and spent a year with Whitehaven as they defeated his former club Swinton on a dramatic final day of the Championship season as Haven and Batley secured surival at Cougars' expense in 2014.

After moving to Odsal following the Bulls' relegation to the Championship, he featured in all of Bradford's opening eight games in 2015 but missed two months of action with post-concussion syndrome prior to his loan spell with Keighley.