The 29-year-old will link up with the Bulldogs, the club he made his debut for in 2011. He remained at Canterbury before he joined the Dragons in 2016.

Lafai was off-contract at the end of the season and has not featured for the side since round two.

The Samoan international spent five seasons in the Red V, playing 91 games for the Dragons.

St George Illawarra's decision to grant Lafai a release is a show of support for incumbent centres, Euan Aitken and Zac Lomax.

After a challenging 2019, Aitken has grown in confidence in recent weeks and has slowly started to return to the form that had him firmly in the frame for NSW State of Origin selection two years ago.

The 25-year-old is off contract at the end of the year, however he is keen to remain with the Dragons.

Lomax signed a five-year extension in the off-season and while he stated his intention to play fullback upon signing the contract, he is considered by many a future star at centre.

The 20-year-old played the first game of the year at the back, before a shift to the wing in round two. He returned to the centres upon the NRL season restart and has steadily improved throughout the past eight weeks.

The Dragons also have Brayden Wiliame in their squad and coach Paul McGregor is confident the trio will continue to impress in the second half of the season.

"We have been pleased with the recent performances of Euan Aitken and Zac Lomax while Brayden Wiliame is close to returning from injury," McGregor said. "We are also comfortable that Jackson Ford and Tyrell Fuimaono are capable of playing there if ever required.

"Another factor the club considered was the long-term trajectory of Max and Mat Feagai, who have impressed since joining the NRL development squad this year.

"We thank Tim for his contribution and wish him all the best in his future endeavours."

The departure of Lafai to the Bulldogs comes as St George Illawarra continue to chase one of Canterbury's own, with recently reinstated forward Corey Harawira-Naera in their sights.

The Dragons will have to beat a number of rivals for his services, however, with the Bulldogs keen to retain him, while Canberra and the Warriors are also reportedly chasing the New Zealand international.

While reports indicated the Dragons would trade Lafai for Harawira-Naera, St George Illawarra recruit manager Ian Millward confirmed this was not the case.

"As a club, we were comfortable with the decision for Tim to shore up his long-term future at another NRL club," Millward said.

"Tim has been an outstanding representative for St George Illawarra over the past five seasons; the decision to release him was based on the merit of the capabilities within our squad, and not in consideration of any trade deals, as has been falsely reported."

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