NRL: Peta Hiku joins the Warriors

Peta Hiku has joined the Warriors.

The Kiwis utility has inked a contract with the Auckland club, after gaining a release from UK Super League club Warrington.

As reported in the Herald on Sunday, his signing will add competition among the outside back positions at Mt Smart, while the former Warriors junior is also expected to be the first choice deputy to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck in the No1 jersey.

The 24-year-old has agreed a three year deal.

He joins Tohu Harris, Leivaha Pulu and Gerard Beale as new Warriors signings for next season, while Adam Blair has yet to be officially confirmed.

His return to Mt Smart completes an unlikely circumnavigation, as for a long time, Hiku was seen as the one that got away.

He was the Warriors junior player of the year in 2012, but the club delayed on offering him a deal for the following season.

By the time they eventually put something on the table, the Sea Eagles had lined up Hiku and the Kiwi eventually opted for the Sydney club.

Hiku averaged almost a try every two games in three seasons at Brookvale, and was effective at either wing, centre or fullback, before moving to the Panthers at the end of the 2015 season after Trent Barrett took over at Manly.

He had a spectacular start to his career at Penrith - crossing for tries in each of his first four games in 2016 - but his time at the foot of the Blue Mountains was blighted by injuries, before he moved to the Northern hemisphere earlier this year.

To date, his best international performances came during the 2014 Four Nations tournament, when he was outstanding in the No1 jersey after Tuivasa-Sheck was withdrawn from the tournament by the Roosters.