Keenan Palasia has made a surprise exit from the NRL after being granted an early release from the Gold Coast to link up with Leeds in the Super League.
Former Parramatta head coach Brad Arthur took charge of the Rhinos midway through the 2024 campaign and has now set about rebuilding the club's roster after a disappointing eighth-place finish.
Palasia has become Arthur's first signing at the club after he inked a two-year contract.
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Former Bronco Keenan Palasia makes shock NRL exit to join Leeds
"Keenan arrives with a lot of experience of playing in the NRL with nearly 70 games under his belt and I think he will complement the options we already have in our forward pack," Arthur said.
"Having spoken to him, I know he is excited about starting his new life in England with the Rhinos and I think he will become a firm fan favourite with his style of play."
Palasia started his NRL career with Brisbane in 2019 before going on to establish himself as a regular at the Broncos in 2022.
However, after two seasons where he featured for 20 matches or more at Red Hill, he made the move to Queensland rivals, the Titans.
Under Des Hasler, the Samoan international struggled to make an impact as he was restricted to just three starts for the year.
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After a total of 15 appearances in 2024, with the majority of those consisting of around 25 minutes of game time, the Titans opted to allow Palasia to move elsewhere.
"Keenan is our first 2025 season addition in the off season, and will bring size, skill and presence to our existing pack," Leeds' Sporting Director Ian Blease said.
"I would like to thank Gold Coast for releasing him from the final year of his contract so he can come to AMT Headingley immediately.
"Having played in an NRL grand final twelve months ago, he also brings with him valuable experience to our pack that we can benefit from in 2025 and onwards."
