Huddersfield Giants sign Jamie Simpson from Sydney

Simpson scored a hat-trick in the 2009 Sydney derby against Roosters

Huddersfield Giants have signed Australian centre Jamie Simpson on a three-year contract.

The 24-year-old has been released a year early by South Sydney Rabbitohs and will arrive in the UK once his visa has been processed.

Simpson told BBC Radio Leeds: "I've been doing some research and see they're a very young side.

"They've made the top four and Challenge Cup final so hopefully I can better the team and go one further."

He continued: "It feels really good to be a Giant - I've always wanted to come over and play in England so now is a good opportunity to do so.

606: DEBATE Simpson defends with all his heart and is quite quick off the mark over 20 metres but does lack that real fast player's ability over 50 metres or more southsydneynrl

"I first got an offer from the Catalans and then [Giants coach] Nathan Brown rang me about 20 minutes after I got off the phone to Catalans and gave me an offer I couldn't refuse."

Huddersfield and Simpson are now trying to process the paperwork on his visa but it is unlikely he will arrive in time for the start of Super League XVI.

"Hopefully late February to March," Simpson said. "I don't want to be over there too much later than that, so that's my aim.

There was never a point in my mind where I said that I'd never play rugby league again Cancer survivor Jamie Simpson

"I'm going to keep training [with Sydney] as much as I can so I'm fit and ready to go when I get there."

Simpson made a try-scoring NRL debut for Sydney in 2008 and went on to make 37 appearances for the Rabittohs.

It was quite some turnaround for a player who was treated for cancer at an early age.

"I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma when I was 15," Simpson said.

"I got it twice but I battled through that and lived to make my dream in the NRL.

"There was never a point in my mind where I said that I'd never play rugby league again.

"That was really the driving force behind me getting through the treatments and all the bad stuff that goes with it.

"That and family got me through it so I can attribute rugby league a lot to me well-being now."