The 22-year-old replaces recently departed utility Ata Hingano at the Warriors on a two-year deal.

Lawton broke his leg in his 2016 NRL debut against the Warriors but returned last season to play 11 games for the Titans.

But he would have been fighting for regular minutes this season, given the acquisition of Penrith hooker Mitch Rein and emergence of young playmaker AJ Brimson.

Tonga's World Cup halfback Hingano, released this week by the Warriors, is poised to sign with Canberra.

"We're thrilled to be able to secure Karl so quickly following Ata Hingano's departure," Warriors football manager Brian Smith said.

"While Karl's versatility is valuable, he's principally a five-eighth who'll give us experience and add to our depth in the halves."

Losing the Burleigh Bears junior, whose older brother Kayne had also played for Gold Coast, is a blow to new coach Garth Brennan's plan to build a club around locals.

"It's disappointing to see Karl depart the club, as he is a local product, but we couldn't stand in the way of an opportunity for him to play regular first grade," Brennan said.

Australian Associated Press