Bulldogs player announces rival’s move to Canberra on Instagram

STAR centre Joseph Leilua chose to announce he was leaving the Knights to join the Raiders from a very unusual place.

Joey Leilua does the Haka after the win during the Samoa V Tonga rugby league test match at Cbus Super Stadium, Carrara. Pics Adam Head

STAR centre Joseph Leilua chose to confirm his intent to join the Raiders on Canterbury forward Frank Pritchard’s Instagram account.

Pritchard posted a video on Monday of himself with Leilua inside a car in which Leilua declares he is moving to Canberra after Newcastle announced earlier it had agreed to grant the representative star an immediate early release from his contract.

Pritchard jokes in his brief post he picked Leilua up on the Pacific Highway and was going to drive him to Bulldogs headquarters in Belmore.

“Just picked up a lost boy on the M1 @joeyleilua with @topclasstyres now we r dropping him off too Belmore hahahahaha,” Pritchard wrote.

Leilua has been out of favour with the Knights since the start of the year with the club believing he returned from last year’s Four Nations tournament out of condition.

The Samoan international has played 54 games for the Knights since 2013, scoring 30 tries.

He made his first grade debut for the Roosters in 2010.

A one-time City representative, Leilua was 19th man for New South Wales for Origin I in 2012.

Canberra has until June 30 to complete its signing of Leilua before the NRL’s transfer deadline.