The 23-year-old Samoan international, who was granted a release by St George Illawarra, will join the Tigers immediately.

"I'm very pleased we've been able to secure a player with Luciano's talent and potential for the future," Tigers head coach Michael Maguire said.

"He offers another dimension to our forward pack and gives us an added edge with his ball-playing and creativity.

"With more experience and time, I can see Luciano developing into a really strong player for this club and we're all excited to see him take those next steps in his career here."

Leilua represented Samoa during their strong World Rugby League Nines campaign and Oceania Cup Test match against Fiji earlier this month.

He joins the Tigers after a strong 2019 campaign during which he posted career highs in games, linebreaks, offloads, tackles and running metres.

"Luciano has developed into a quality forward since his debut and we're looking forward to providing him with an opportunity to keep improving as a player both on and off the field," said Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe.

Australian Associated Press