New Harlequins signing David Howell has hit out at former club Canberra as he prepares to jet-in to join his new team-mates.

Howell, who was linked with Wigan before joining the Quins, was initially told he would not be offered a new contract by the Raiders at the end of the 2008 season.

However he told the Canberra Times: "I thought, 'Fair enough I'm still here for another year.

"I'd heard a lot of rumours that I was moving on and that they were trying to do swaps with other clubs to get me out of there. But at the end of the season the pressure was put on more.

"I wasn't in the coach's plans."

Howell revealed former Raiders players Matt Gafa and Mark McLinden, who are both at Harlequins, played a crucial role in persuading him to head to London.

"I've spoken to Matty Gaffa over there and he loves it so he thinks that I'll love it," he said.

"But I want to come back to Australia, I'll be 26 (at the end of the two-year Harlequins contract) with a lot of footy left in me."

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