Newcastle have confirmed the signing of Anthony Tupou, with the veteran given a one-year NRL contract to boost the club's depleted forward stocks.
The 33-year-old former Kangaroo had been plying his trade with Wakefield in England in the Super League until he left in December citing homesickness.
Tupou's signing comes after prop Korbin Sims' departure for Brisbane, leaving a hole in Newcastle's forward pack.
"We're very pleased to bring Anthony to the club ahead of the 2017 season," Newcastle coach Nathan Brown said in a statement.
"He has a wealth of experience in this competition and will be able to assist in the development of our younger forwards."
Tupou played 234 NRL games for the Sydney Roosters and Cronulla, making his first-grade debut in 2004.
He played 11 Tests for Australia and represented NSW four times at State of Origin level.
Newcastle expect fellow forward Pauli Pauli to recover in 10 weeks from a dislocated hip he suffered last month in a seven-car pile up.
Scans have revealed Pauli's injury is settling, but the 22-year-old is unable to run and has been limited to off-feet fitness training.
While the crash had sparked concerns about his immediate playing future, the 22-year-old is aiming to return to the field in mid-April.
Meanwhile, hooker Rory Kostjasyn is set for another bout of surgery on his injured throat in March and is likely to miss at least the first six weeks of the NRL season.
