Hull Kingston Rovers are resigned to losing star forward Mickey Paea to their city rivals Hull FC.
The Tonga international has told Robins chairman Neil Hudgell that KC Stadium chiefs have offered and he has decided to sign a substantial contract.
Paea, 27, was also linked with Wigan and a possible return to the National Rugby League in Australia but Hudgell has revealed the second row is set to move to their near neighbours at the end of the season.
Hudgell was furious when Paea's agent Darryl Mather blamed continuing uncertainty over KR's long-term ownership for his client deciding not to commit to a new deal at MS3 Craven Park.
He told Hull's Daily Mail: "Mickey has told the club that he has signed, in his own words, 'a deal too good to turn down' at Hull FC two weeks ago.
"Consequently, what his agent has said is nonsense and I'm mystified by his comments. To blame uncertainties at the club is the easy way out, convenient and lacking in logic. If Mickey genuinely hadn't signed anywhere else, surely the fact our coach had recently re-signed puts to bed any such concerns.
"We both know he's gone for the bigger deal, and who can blame him? It's a short career and he needs to get out of it what he can. We made him an offer to reflect his value, Hull topped it by a significant amount and that's how it pans out from time to time, which I have no problem with.
"We won't pay beyond our means for any player. We assessed the worth of Mickey to the club, and he was able to do far better. The fact we have known about this for a while has enabled us to close in on a quality replacement elsewhere, which we expect to announce shortly."