St George Illawarra had been favourites to snare Keary, off contract at the end of the season, but the tricolours have snuck under their guard. The deal is likely to be finalised on Monday but, due to NRL protocols, there won't be an official announcement for about 10 days.

The move has massive ramifications for a number of clubs and halves as the player merry-go-round swings yet again.

The Roosters have been unhappy with current pivot Jackson Hastings and have been in the market for a new playmaker. They missed out on Lachlan Coote, who re-signed with the Cowboys, while a late bid for Mitchell Moses wasn't enough to prevent him from taking up the option to remain at Wests Tigers.

Hastings remains on contract with the Roosters but the latest developments suggest he would be free to leave early if granted a release.

The chances of Keary remaining at Redfern effectively ended when the premiership-winning player was engaged in a much-publicised row with Russell Crowe at the Souths co-owner's Nana Glen property. The 24 -year-old had received some interest from rugby franchises but will now continue his career in the NRL.

The move will come as a shock to the Dragons, who believed they had done enough to entice him to the joint-venture outfit. The Red V had put negotiations with Benji Marshall on hold in the belief Keary would be on their books next year, but they will now need to reassess whether to keep the Kiwi international after coming up short. With few playmakers on the open market - most have re-signed with their incumbent clubs - the Dragons may now need to get Marshall back to the negotiating table.