Christian Crichton in Penrith NRL return

Crichton, who has won one cap for Samoa, left the Panthers in 2018 to join the Bulldogs.

The winger played 13 games for Canterbury across the 2019 and 2020 seasons before an ACL injury ruled him out of the 2021 season.

The 25-year-old returned to Penrith on a training contract but after earning his one-year deal will compete for the spots in the Panthers backline vacated by Paul Momirovski and Brent Naden.

"It's always satisfying when we have the opportunity to bring local juniors back to Panthers," said Penrith football manager Matt Cameron.

"Christian has a strong connection with our playing group, our club and our community.

"There's no doubt his signing adds valuable depth to our NRL squad for the upcoming season."