The St George Illawarra Dragons have snared Gold Coast utility Paul Turner effective immediately on a two-year deal in a bid to plug the club's halves dilemma.
The Dragons have lost first-string Talatau Amone to the no-fault stand-down policy, while back-ups Jayden Sullivan and Jack Bird both suffered minor pre-season injuries.
Moses Mbye partnered Ben Hunt in the halves for the club's Charity Shield clash, however after being on the wrong side of a 26-0 scoreline at half-time, it appears the former Maroon will return to the utility role.
Turner started at halfback for the Maori All Stars in their 28-24 loss to their Indigenous counterparts, playing the entire 80 minutes of the contest as the 22-year-old set up a try as well as making 21 tackles without a miss.
The Titans confirmed the news on Saturday afternoon.
"The Gold Coast Titans can confirm Paul Turner has been granted an early release to pursue other playing opportunities," the club said in a statement.
"The 22-year-old back played seven games for the Titans after joining the club from the New Zealand Warriors in 2022, which included the last three games of the season as a utility off the bench.
"He'll join the Dragons in 2023 and will depart the Gold Coast to take up this opportunity immediately.
"The Titans thank Paul for his contribution during his time at the club."
St George Illawarra's General Manager of Football, Ben Haran, is eager to see the utility value Turner delivers to the squad.
"Paul brings that utility value we've been looking to add to the depth of the squad," Haran told Dragons.com.au.
"He'll prove to be a handy addition throughout the season and we look forward to him joining the squad on Monday."
