NEW signing Rob Parker is confident of being a mainstay of Salford’s pack next season despite the strong competition for forward places at the club.

Parker was mainly used as an impact prop at former club Warrington with big name players like Adrian Morley and Paul Rauhihi constantly limiting his game time.

And the 27-year-old knows he will also face fierce competition for places at his new club with six other props on the books in Ray Cashmere, Craig Stapleton, Phil Leuluai, Adam Sidlow, Stephen Nash and Lee Jewitt. But Parker intends to make himself undroppable with his form out on the pitch.

He said: "Salford look pretty strong in the pack next season. But I have had a lot of competition for places everywhere I have played. It is a good thing.

"Besides, I have every confidence in my ability. If I didn’t think that I would get regular games at Salford I wouldn’t have joined.

"I see coming to Salford as a big challenge. I am determined to do well and I am happy to play anywhere in the pack. I am not just a prop. I have proved in the past that I can play second row and loose forward as well."

Parker was keen to stress that he was not forced to leave Warrington. He had a year remaining on his Wolves contract but he wanted to leave and embark on an exciting new challenge with the Reds.

Parker, who won two Super League titles plus Challenge Cup and World Cup Challenge winner’s medals with Bradford and captained England to European Nations Cup success in 2004, said: "I’ve joined Salford for lots of reasons.

"The club will be back in Super League next year and the three-year licence that we have allows us to progress the club in the right way.

"Salford is a club with a bright future and I know quite a few people there. I am good friends with Scott Naylor (Salford’s assistant coach) having played with him at Bradford and he said lots of good things about the club.

"I have also spoken to a few people about the head coach Shaun McRae and none of them had anything negative to say about him.

"He is obviously a really good coach and I’m looking forward to working with him next season.

"Salford have signed some good players for next season and I think that we will do better than people think.

"I spoke to (Warrington centre) Matt King recently and he had a lot of good things to say about people like Ray Cashmere, Jeremy Smith and Mark Henry.

"I’m not saying Salford are going to do the treble but we will do alright.

"I saw the National League One Grand Final and was very impressed with Salford. The boys showed a lot of mental strength to take the game into extra-time and win it.

"There are some really good players here."

Salford are confident that Parker will be a big hit with Reds fans.

Director of football Steve Simms said: "Rob has been around. He has bags of experience and he will increase the competition for starting places with us.

"This is a good challenge for him. You know what you get from Rob. He’s a good honest hard working front rower."