Leigh Centurions have confirmed the signing of Fijian international prop-forward Ben Nakubuwai until the end of the 2022 Betfred Championship season.
Nakubuwai has previously spent time in the United Kingdom representing Salford Red Devils between 2018 and 2019, helping the club to their first-ever Betfred Super League Grand Final.
Since returning to Australia, the 26-year-old has featured for Norths Devils who were crowned the Intrust Super Cup premiers with a 16-20 victory over Wynnum Manly in the 2021 Grand Final.
He was an integral part of the Fijian side that progressed to the semi-finals of the 2017 Rugby League World Cup after causing a memorable 4-2 upset over New Zealand in the quarter final.
On the signing, Leigh Centurions Head Coach Adrian Lam said: “We have been tracking Ben for quite a while now and is the sort of player that fits into the DNA that we want at this club moving forward.
“He is a big body front-rower in size and shape and will bring his powerful, agile running ability as well as his aggressive defensive nature.
“He plays big minutes and a player who will fit straight into the team and help out our forward pack. In saying this, he does have the ability to play out of position at times.
“We are looking forward to him joining this great group here at Leigh Centurions and bringing that great personality to Leigh Sports Village.
“He is a down to earth guy with great morals and understands how a tram environment works and will fit into this group perfectly.
“Ben is a really important acquisition for this club, and we are working hard to continuously keep building on this team by doing our due diligence to get the best fit for this side, not just the next person off the heap.”
Leigh Centurions currently sit 2nd in the Betfred Championship and are set to face Sheffield Eagles at Leigh Sports Village on Friday evening.
