Brenton Lawrence will finish his NRL career where it started as St George Illawarra make a play for Brisbane forward Adam Blair.

Lawrence, off contract at the end of the season, has been weighing up interest from current club Manly as well as Newcastle, but ultimately opted to take up a $500,000 deal to return to the Gold Coast. The Sea Eagles prop began his first-grade career on the holiday strip and opted to return after meeting with club officials last month. The Titans are expected to trumpet the signing this week when the 10-day cooling-off period expires.

Manly prop Brenton Lawrence has signed with the Gold Coast. Credit:Adam McLean

There were fears Lawrence's career would come to a premature end after he suffered serious back injuries that required surgery. However, the 32 year old has come back strongly enough to be touted as a potential State of Origin inclusion by Mal Meninga prior to the current series.

The Knights were also in the mix for Lawrence's services but the opportunity to return to Queensland proved to good to refuse. It could be a double win for the Titans, who are close to re-signing promising forward Morgan Boyle despite interest from rivals.

Blair could be another forward on the move after the Dragons expressed interest in the Kiwis captain. The Red V is looking to bolster a forward pack that will lose Russell Packer, although the Warriors are also in the mix for the Brisbane forward. It remains to be seen whether the Broncos will let the 30 year old leave Red Hill.