Leigh Centurions expect Kurt Baptiste to arrive at the club in the next two days.
Paperwork to secure his visa was set to be completed this week, allowing the hooker to be in England by the weekend.
The Papua New Guinea international is among a raft of new signings at Leigh Sports Village and will feature in at least one of the club’s warm-up matches against Wigan and St Helens.
He is the only player yet to link up with the Centurions ahead of the upcoming campaign, and head coach Neil Jukes is looking forward to his arrival.
“It will give him two or three weeks for him to get accustomed to life over here and will also allow him to get some minutes under his belt before our first Championship fixture with Toronto,” he said.
Jukes confirmed the club is close to being injury-free at present, with those currently nursing minor tweaks all in contention to be fit for the first trial run against Wigan on January 21.
