JUST over a year ago, they were a club struggling to lure a marquee player. Now the Canberra Raiders are on the verge of signing one of the most talented outside backs in the NRL.

The Sunday Telegraph can reveal the Green Machine are close to signing Newcastle Knights centre Joey “BJ” Leilua to compliment the purchase of promising Gold Coast five-eighth Aiden Seizer for 2016 and the soon to be announced signature of Test prop James Tamou.

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Leilua is contracted to the Knights until the end of 2016, but with a clause in his contract related to the departure of former Newcastle coach Wayne Bennett to Brisbane this season, the 23-year-old is effectively a free-agent.

Leilua, who signed a new two-year deal under Bennett last year, had a clause included into his contract at that time which states he can request a release from the Knights at any point should Bennett move on.

It’s believed that Leilua will formally act upon that clause and request a release this week once he returns from international duties with Samoa.

The Knights are unlikely to stand in Leilua’s way given it will alleviate close to $400,000 from their salary cap, which like most clubs, is under pressure.

The benefit of Leilua’s departure to the Nation’s Capital will also allow the club to promote a potent crop of emerging stars into the NRL more regularly including the Matautia brothers Sione and Chanel and the off-contract Jake Mamo.

Leilua is no stranger to Raiders coach Ricky Stuart.

The powerful centre was selected as a member of the NSW emerging Blues squad when Stuart was coach of NSW State of Origin in 2011. He was also a member of the City Origin team in 2012 and was also named 19th man for NSW in Origin I of that year.

media_camera James Tamou will soon be another high profile signing for the Raiders.

More recently, fitness has proven Leilua’s downfall with the damaging ballrunner pushing the scales well over 112kg.

However, the Raiders are confident they can motivate Leilua into the attacking weapon he has long promised to be.

Having missed out on the signatures of Melbourne’s Kevin Proctor, Cronulla’s Michael Ennis, Wests Tigers fullback James Tedesco and Penrith’s Josh Mansour last year, the Raiders have become the surprise packets of 2015 so far, as a result of several shrewd purchases.

Former Wests Tigers utility Blake Austin, who has earned a City Origin jumper after joining Canberra, is in contention for buy of the season.

And while they arrived in the pre-season with little fanfare, Raiders winger Sisa Waqa, who was formally with Melbourne and former Sydney Roosters prop Frank-Paul Nu’uausala, have also proven to be influential purchases.