Nightingale, with the experience of 266 NRL games and 33 Tests for New Zealand announced his retirement this year, his career coming to a premature end when he missed the finals with an elbow injury.

And now Macdonald will join North Queensland, just weeks after publicly committing to the final year of his Dragons deal. 

"Nene has been an important player over the last two seasons at our club, and although he has one year left on his contract, his management and himself approached the club on compassionate reasons for a release," Dragons recruitment manager Ian Millward said.

"We thought it was in the best interests welfare-wise for Nene to grant him the release, so unfortunately he won't be with us in 2019."

With Macdonald's exit confirmed on Tuesday afternoon, the Dragons will now rely on Jordan Pereira, who has only played nine NRL games after making his debut in round 19 this year.

Utility Kurt Mann has also played on the wing, while the Dragons have signed 23-year-old Broncos winger Jonus Pearson, having miss out on luring Brett Morris back to Wollongong.

Pearson has played 11 games for the Broncos since making his NRL debut in 2016.

The Dragons are optimistic about the prospects of Raiders under 20 and Fiji winger Mikaele Ravalawa, signed on a two-year deal.

Zac Lomax is another potential wing option, but he has shown his potential as a star of the future in the centres when he replaced injured Euan Aitken. 

St George SG Ball winger Jason Saab has signed a four-year deal with the Red V.

Saab will join the development player squad for the next two years, before the Dragons hope for him to join the top 30 squad for the 2021 and 2022 NRL seasons.