The Newcastle Knights have added the final piece to their roster puzzle for 2023 a week out from the NRL's transfer deadline, with Fa'amanu Brown signing on.
The Bulldogs released Brown from the final months of his contract after signing Liam Knight from the South Sydney Rabbitohs last week.
While the Bulldogs are yet to make any official statement regarding Brown's exit from the club, his move means Knight takes their own final roster spot and will likely make his club debut on Sunday against the Dolphins in Bundaberg.
Brown, on the other hand, will take up residence at his third NRL club in two years after returning to the competition last year. He quickly became one of the good news stories of 2022 after his return for the Wests Tigers following career-threatening injuries.
The Samoan representative quickly proved he could still hang at the top level, and was snapped up for this season at the Bulldogs, where he has played mixed roles over the first 20 rounds of the competition.
With the Knights battling through both form and injuries, his move north could see him enter the NRL squad as soon as next week, when Adam O'Brien's side will be tasked with a trip to Redcliffe to play the Dolphins.
The Knights, who will need to win almost all of their games to the end of the season, then play the Canterbury Bulldogs, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Cronulla Sharks and Newcastle Knights as they push for a finals spot.
Brown has only been signed to the end of this year, meaning he is immediately back into the free agent player pool, although the Knights have nine roster spots available for 2024 and could well sign Brown to a longer-term deal.
