HUGELY-popular fly-half Jono Lance will be a “big asset” to Worcester Warriors when he returns to the club ahead of next season insists director of rugby Alan Solomons.

The Australian will leave Queensland Reds at the end of the Super Rugby campaign in August to re-join Warriors after signing a two-year contract.

Solomons said Lance made a “significant impact” during his short-spell at Warriors and reckoned the 27-year-old playmaker would slot in “seamlessly” when he arrives at Sixways.

“It’s really good news for us,” Solomons said.

“We are really chuffed that we were able to close the deal.

“He knows what he is coming into and it is great that he has been part of the set up so he will slot seamlessly back into it which is fantastic for us.

“I think (continuity) is important in what is a key position.”

Lance made the move to Warriors in October and went on to feature eight times, landing 26 points from the tee.

After suffering a broken hand in the win over London Irish before Christmas, the stand-off returned to his homeland.

Lance had completed a move to Melbourne Rebels but he was released without playing a match for them and signed for his old club Queensland in late January.

However Warriors remained in hot pursuit of Lance in a bid to bolster the fly-half department and Solomons was delighted to see him put pen to paper.

“We signed him so that speaks for itself,” said Solomons on how contract negotiations went with Lance.

“He had a contract with the ARU (Australian Rugby Union) so that was with Super Rugby. He was needed at the Reds and that’s where he played.

“He is there to see out the season and he is here next year.

“He was really happy as he really enjoyed himself here and is looking forward to coming back.

“The players are delighted that he’s coming back as well as he was a very popular member of the squad.

“He is a really good team player and I think he will add a lot of value to the squad overall.

“On the field he is a very good player as he takes the ball to the line and is very strong defensively.

“He could easily play at 12 if he wanted to. He will be a big asset to us.”

Lance, who played for Western Force in last year’s Super Rugby, starred for Perth Spirit in their 2016 title-winning National Rugby Championship campaign.

He was named on the bench for Australia against France in November 2016 but an injury sustained in the Wallaby XV’s clash with the French Barbarians saw him condemned to the sidelines.

Lance added: “Although I was only at Sixways for a couple of months, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Worcester.

“I’m fully focused on helping the Reds do well in this season’s Super Rugby but I’m also hugely excited about coming back to Sixways in the summer.

“I made a lot of friends back in England and want to test myself in the Premiership against some of the best players in the world.”