McDonnell has won eight caps for New Zealand

The Falcons have signed All Black and Wellington prop Joe McDonnell, Samoa and Waikato utility back Loki Crichton and Bay of Plenty lock Mark Sorenson.

McDonnell and Sorenson have joined until the end of the 2007/08 season while Crichton has signed initially until the end of the current campaign.

"It is a massive statement of intent," said rugby director John Fletcher.

"All three players have been carefully selected over a period of time and will add a huge amount in key areas of the team.

"Credit has to go to the board and the chairman. We identified these three players as vital for the improvement of the squad and they have gone out and got them for us."

Loose-head prop McDonnell competed in the Air New Zealand Cup final for Wellington earlier this month.

The 33-year-old, who weighs in at 18 stone 10 pounds, has been capped eight times by New Zealand and five times by the NZ Maori.

Crichton, 30, has been played at fly-half in Samoa's last two Tests and has 43 appearances for the Chiefs in the Super 14 - at full-back and right across the three-quarters.

Crichton has plenty of Super 14 experience with Waikato

Sorenson, 27, was voted best forward of the season by his provincial peers this season.

Newcastle have had a disappointing start to the Premiership season with just one win from their opening five games and the signings of McDonnell and Sorenson will add beef to their pack.

"Joe and Mark's acquisitions give us valuable bulk and experience up front, which will be of huge benefit to the whole team as we continue to develop this group of players," said forwards coach Peter Walton.

"Joe is an absolute world-class player, one of the best props in the world who has stood out every time I've watched him.

"Mark is the sort of streetwise physical presence we need at this stage in our development to complement our promising young English forwards.

"We look forward to seeing their impact on the pack, as well as Loki's in the backs, as we work to move up the Premiership table."

Premiership regulations stipulate that only one 'foreign' player can be on the field at any given time, except during the international windows in November and during the Six Nations.

Burke's mother Mauren was born in London and he has already filed papers with the Home Office to become a British resident.

"I'm waiting for the flood of emails from Australia calling me a traitor," he joked.

"The club has been extremely good to me, so this is one small way in which I can repay them.