The Gold Coast Titans have moved quickly to replace Greg Bird, signing Kevin Proctor from the Melbourne Storm on a four-year deal.
The second-rower has played all his 179 NRL games for the Storm, having debuted in Round 10, 2008, while he has also played 15 Tests for New Zealand.
The 27-year-old scored six tries in 24 games for the Storm in 2016.
"This is a great opportunity to return home to the Gold Coast with my young family to be closer to all of our family," Proctor said.
"It has been a long process and I needed to feel comfortable with the decision as I have had a successful time at the Melbourne Storm and made some great friends, but now I am looking forward to joining Neil and the Titans players and contributing to the team's success."