THE Bulls have swooped for Hull KR winger Elliot Wallis on a season-long loan.

John Kear continues to build a squad geared towards promotion from the Championship – or a crack at Super League if their application for the empty spot is successful.

The teenager's capture follows the arrival last week of former England youth international Reece Hamlett.

Wallis has played six times for Hull KR after making his Super League debut against Wigan in 2018.

He was due to spend the full 2020 season on loan at York – and scored against the Bulls in the feisty friendly at Dewsbury in January.

Wallis featured in two Championship games for the Knights and one in the Challenge Cup before the campaign was stopped.

Kear said: “The reason we signed Elliot and Reece last week was to provide extra competition for places – they are two young men who are very eager and have a point to prove.

“We have now got 11 backs for next year and both will get opportunities.

“Elliot is further down the line than Reece and we have him for the full year and we are delighted with that.

“We have built a good relationship with Hull Kingston Rovers and benefitted from that with Elliot’s signing.

“He is a really big, strong, strapping wingman who I am looking forward to seeing take his opportunities in games.”

Wallis becomes the 21st player secured for next season – whichever division the Bulls will be in.

They are in the fight for the vacancy in Super League, even though Kear accepts it would be a major step-up in class for his squad.

But chief executive Mark Sawyer insists the veteran coach would be well up for the task if they did get the nod in a race also featuring the likes of Leigh, Toulouse, Featherstone, London, Halifax, York and possibly Widnes.

He said: “John has been fully consulted on it with the pros and cons and he feels we’ve got to take that opportunity if it’s offered to us.

“He’s thoroughly aware of how difficult it will be but thinks we should go for it if the club is in a position to do so.

“John said it might turn out to be too early for one or two players. But with our production line, he’s absolutely convinced that some of them will be up to it.

“We’d obviously have to recruit a mixture of players who are still out and about – which we would do.

“I asked John to be totally honest over whether he thinks we should apply and he said ‘yes, absolutely’.

"He thinks that we can get as competitive a side as possible.

“I’m not going to tell people not to worry and say that we’ll definitely be in a position to win enough matches to stay up.

“Everybody knows it’s going to be a difficult task to do so.

“We’ve also got to be realistic. There are only so many players about and the distribution money from Sky and Super League will be a lower amount.

“But we’re applying on the basis that we know that.”

Super League Europe and the RFL have confirmed that Lord Jonathan Caine, vice-chairman of Rugby League's all-party parliamentary group, will chair a seven-strong selection panel.

The full application process and criteria will be distributed to clubs and published tomorrow. The deadline is Monday, November 30.