Wests Tigers star David Nofoaluma has been “loaned” to the Melbourne Storm for the remainder of the 2022 season with the Storm desperate for an outside back to fill up their stocks ahead of the finals.

Nofoaluma – a veteran of the NRL and a Samoan International – will head to Victoria with Wests Tigers sitting at the bottom of the table and out of playoffs contention.

Many on social media have fired up that one of the game’s best sides can score such a quality player so close to September footy – much the same way the Penrith Panthers landed Tevita Pangai Junior from the Broncos in 2021.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the latest a player could transfer was June 30 but was changed to August 1 to assist teams struggling to fill starting sides.

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That deadline has not been moved back.