Joseph Tapine has been released from the final year of his contract with Newcastle and looks to set to join Canberra for the 2016 NRL season.

Tapine’s manager had claimed he was told by the Knights coaching staff the back-rower would not play first grade for the club this season after signing a rich four-year deal with the Raiders, beginning next year.

Tapine’s manager Jim Banaghan had referred the matter to the NRL, with the Knights originally stalling on the 21-year-old’s requests for an early release from the club.