Melbourne have signed South Sydney forward Robbie Rochow for the remainder of the NRL season, effective immediately.
Rochow, 26, made his debut at the Storm in 2010 but left for Newcastle in 2012 and has since gone on to play 82 games with stints at Newcastle and the Rabbitohs.
In return, the Storm have released young prop Dean Britt to Souths for the rest of the year, after he made his debut against North Queensland a fortnight ago.
Rochow’s arrival will help the Storm cover the gaps of injured forwards Jordan McLean (jaw) and Christian Welch (knee).
“We were approached by Dean to see if the club would consider releasing him to the Rabbitohs early,” Melbourne football director Frank Ponissi said.
“While we were reluctant initially we understood Dean’s reasons and the opportunity for him to play more NRL.
“We are delighted to welcome Robbie back to the club; he has matured further as a player and we believe he will add strength to our forward stocks for the remainder if the season.”
Both players will be available to play for their new clubs in round 18.