The Manly Sea Eagles have reportedly signed Tommy Talau on a two-year deal which will see him make the move to the Northern Beaches from the start off the 2024 season.
It first emerged a couple of weeks ago that the Sea Eagles were interested in the Tigers' back, who missed entire 2022 season after rupturing his ACL in the final game of a dismal 2021 season for the joint-venture.
Despite that, the Tigers kept the faith in Talau, and he played in the first two games of the 2023 season at centre before being injured again.
He has now proven his fitness for a return and has been named to play this weekend in the NRL off the bench - ironically against the Sea Eagles.
Despite his issues with injury and getting back onto the park, it was believed the Sea Eagles made an original attempt to get Talau to join the club before the June 30 deadline on an immediate deal.
That was blocked by the Tigers, who have been involved in plenty of immediate moves over the past 12 months. It hasn't stopped the Sea Eagles though, who, according to News Corp, are set to confirm Talau's two-year contract in the coming week.
Talau, who has scored 19 tries in 37 NRL games, is rated as one of the best outside back prospects in the game, although it's unclear how a long-term injury, combined with the covid-impacted seasons prior, will have hit his development.
At just 23 years of age, he still has plenty of time to make way into the upper echelons of the NRL's outside backs, and could thrive off a change to the Northern Beaches, where he would link up with the coaching of Anthony Seibold.
The Sea Eagles are yet to make a decision on the futures of current centres Brad Parker, Morgan Harper or fringe winger Raymond Tuaimalo Vaega, who are all off-contract at the end of the season.
Harper, at full strength, has already sat outside of Manly's best 17 since the successful debut of boom youngster Tolutau Koula.
The signing of Talau could put the writing on the wall over Harper's future at the Sea Eagles, with the former Bulldog not the same player since being stood up by Siosifa Talakai in a game against the Cronulla Sharks last year.
Parker too could be left to fight for his spot at the Tigers if the arrival of Talau goes ahead, with Koula unlikely to be dropped by Seibold, while the wing spots belong to Reuben Garrick and Jason Saab, with Christian Tuipulotu also in the side, leaving no room in the first-choice back five provided Tom Trbojevic remains fit.