Cougars head coach Paul March has revealed he was on the verge of signing Keighley-born Richard Moore before the prop opted to join former club Wakefield Wildcats.

Keighley chairman Gary Fawcett admitted the club were on the look-out for a “game-changing name” if one became available.

They were interested in Wakefield’s Oliver Wilkes, a former Cougars player who opted instead to join Kingstone Press Championship rivals Leigh.

But Moore then appeared to be a more realistic target after he was released by Leeds Rhinos, until a U-turn saw him decide to stay in Super League.

But March has not given up on signing the Bradford Bulls academy graduate – who played for the Cougars on loan under Gary Moorby in 2002 – in the future.

“How close were we to signing Richard? I’d like to think that we were very close,” said March.

“He is Keighley born and bred and I’d like to think that he’ll be back at the club sooner rather than later.

“He obviously thinks that he still has some unfinished business at Wakefield and something to offer in Super League but we’ll certainly be keeping tabs on him.

“If things don’t work out for him at Wakefield, then we could be signing him this season or the next – but you never know what’s going to happen.”

One player Keighley have signed up this week is second-row man Ross Peltier.

The former Jamaican international originally joined the Cougars last season from Huddersfield but did not play a first-team game before heading down under to play in the Queensland Cup.

March now hopes Peltier can prove that his decision to give him a second chance was the right one.

“Ross can be a massive boost for us if he proves that his attitude has changed,” said the Keighley chief.

“I don’t think he’ll mind me saying this but in training last year he didn’t commit to what we were doing so we had to let him go and have his chance in Australia.

“He played in the Queensland Cup and now he wants to give it another shot over here because he doesn’t feel he fulfilled his potential. Now it’s down to him to apply himself.”