The Gold Coast have signed Brian Kelly after the promising centre was granted a release by Manly.
Kelly will return to the Titans, where he began his NRL career in the junior grades, after agreeing to a three-year contract.
The signing is a coup for the Titans’ backline after the 22-year-old enjoyed a strong 2018 season during which he was regularly one of the Sea Eagles’ best.
“Brian is another local coming home and it is great to see a player of his calibre return to the club where he made a name for himself,” Titans coach Garth Brennan said.
“He showed plenty of promise coming through the ranks here at the Titans and continued his rise down in Sydney, becoming an NRL regular.
“I’ve spoken about the desire of bringing in an outside back and Brian definitely fits the criteria of what this club was looking for.”
It completes the club’s recruitment drive which has netted them NSW utility Tyrone Peachey, former Test prop Shannon Boyd plus playmakers Ryley Jacks and Tyrone Roberts.
It also comes a day after Mal Meninga was announced as the club’s head of performance and culture.
Kelly played 47 first-grade games with the Sea Eagles after being blooded in round one in 2017.
He was arguably the best-performing member of the Manly three-quarter line on attack this year, however his defensive frailties were often exposed.
He missed 75 tackles during his 24 games – the most in the club and the seventh most in the league.