Canberra Raiders winger Edrick Lee will sign a two-year deal with the Cronulla Sharks and could begin training with the reigning premiers as early as Thursday afternoon.
Lee's manager Jim Banaghan said salary cap pressures at the Raiders meant it was best for Lee and his young family to look for an opportunity elsewhere.
It means he could face his old club as early as round two, when the Raiders host the Sharks at Canberra Stadium.
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said the same salary cap pressure has also forced dual Mal Meninga Medallist Shaun Fensom to leave the Green Machine.
The pair were off contract at the end of 2017 and have been at the Raiders their whole careers having come to the club as teenagers.
Lee, 24, joined Canberra through the club's old Queensland Cup affiliate Souths Logan, but will now join the Sharks.
"Canberra have been put in a very tight position under the salary cap for this year and going forward next year they're not in a position to be able to extend Edrick," Banaghan said.
"They came to us and said being in the position not to be able to extend Edrick into next year if we were able to secure ourselves a longer-term contract they wouldn't stand in our way due to the fact Edrick's been a very loyal and good servant of the club.
"They think highly of him and the fact that he's got one young child and a baby on the way, they didn't want to feel responsible for restricting him.
"He's always welcome back at the club at any stage ... he'll start training [with Cronulla] either this afternoon or tomorrow morning."
Fensom, 28, could also join a new club before the Raiders' season begins against the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville on Saturday week.
He won back-to-back player-of-the-year awards in 2011-12 and was a fan favourite for his tireless tackling in the middle of the park.
But he's fallen down the pecking order with the Raiders having Sia Soliola, Luke Bateman, Joe Tapine and potentially Dave Taylor all able to play lock.
There are several clubs interested in signing the lock, with the Cowboys the favourites.
Stuart said he felt uncomfortable having to let both Fensom and Lee go.
"It is the hardest thing I have had to do as coach of the Raiders, sitting both these men down and having to talk to them about their futures," Stuart told News Ltd.
"I have felt uncomfortable about it for many months and I still don't feel comfortable today because they are two mates.
"And I can tell you it is something the players here struggle to understand also, especially when you are building a culture at a club.
"The players don't want to lose their mates, and neither do the fans. I totally understand that because that is exactly how I feel, but it is the reality of the salary cap as it is."
Taylor will be offered a one-year deal, but Raiders fans could be forced to wait until round two or three before he becomes available for selection with the NRL believed to be set to impose at least a one-week ban for his cocaine possession charges.
The story, Ricky Stuart confirms Shaun Fensom and Edrick Lee to leave Canberra Raiders, first appeared on the Sydney Morning Herald.
