Preece, 25, comes with a wealth of experience after captaining the Rhinos during their NPL campaign last season and is set to compliment attacking aces Fred and Henri Gardner in Wanderers’ forward half.

The move is unsurprising given Preece’s links to former Rhinos manager and current Wanderers coach Ross Morgan, who is set to throw his countryman into the fray once again.

“He’s versatile and that’s key – he’s played centre mid but can play up front as well,” Morgan said.

“He played striker at the end of last season for Rhinos and did really well, so he’ll definitely bring a high work rate and he’ll bring some goals. 

“At the moment, he’ll be playing anywhere along the front four and I’m hoping he can link with guys like Freddy and Henri and Caylum (Barber).”

Preece moved from Stoke in the UK to Griffith six years ago and linked with West Griffith before finding himself in the Rhinos system.

The move proved a fruitful one with Preece elevated to the captaincy after his debut season under Morgan.

Now, the young Englishman is hoping to put his best foot forwards in a new environment.

“It’s just something different to try out,” Preece said.

“The NPL’s a good competition and playing at Wanderers is just a different challenge.”

Preece will remain Griffith-based while commuting to games and training alongside fellow Wanderers star Stuart Smeeth.

Under his captaincy, Rhinos recorded four wins and a draw during their 2018 NPL campaign, including a stunning 1-0 win over eventual grand finalists Canberra Olympic in September.

Whether Preece will adopt a leadership role at Wanderers is yet to be determined, however, his addition to the squad has already signaled Morgan’s attacking intent.

“Hopefully we’ll be scoring more goals next year and I think we’ll be competitive with the players available,” Morgan said.

“We’ve got a realistic chance here of competing in the top half of the NPL 2 table and we want to be a goal-scoring team.”

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