Huddersfield Giants have completed a swap deal that will take prop forward Anthony Mullally to Wakefield Trinity Wildcats for the rest of the season.
In return the Wildcats 22-year-old prop Daniel Smith will join head coach Paul Anderson’s squad on a four-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee.
The move will be made immediately after prop Mullally agreed to move to Belle Vue on loan, after which he will join his new club Leeds Rhinos for the 2016 season.
Smith instantly becomes a Giant and will be available for selection for the Super League trip to Catalans Dragons at the weekend.
The former Leeds Rhinos Academy forward had signed a new three-year deal for Trinity ahead of the 2014 season, having spent 2013 as a regular in the South Sydney Rabbitohs Under 20 team.
Giants managing director Richard Thewlis explained that the Smith deal had been brought forward from a planned 2016 start.
“We have an excellent relationship with Michael Carter at Wakefield and had agreed with him for Daniel to become a Giant in 2016 and beyond,” said Thewlis.
“Wakefield approached us to talk about ideas for new faces for their squad and obviously we were keen to get Daniel into our environment as soon as possible.
“With Anthony having decided to move on, a deal was struck to the end of the year which suited everyone involved.
“Anthony leaves with our best wishes and I am sure that our fans will look forward to Daniel putting a claret and gold shirt.”
Giants full-back Jake Connor may not be in contention for the trip to Perpignan.
Connor was a try scorer – as was clubmate prop Jacob Fairbank – in Oldham’s 38-18 League One win over Rochdale but the 20-year-old was taken off through injury.
