Source: Radio New Zealand
Will Warbrick scores a try for Melbourne Storm in the NRL Grand Final. AAP/Photosport
With his NZ Warriors linked to a high-profile signing across the Tasman, coach Andrew Webster warns to take the NRL rumour mill with a grain of salt.
Australian media reports the Auckland club has made strong advances on Melbourne Storm wing Will Warbrick, who is off contract this season and looking for a landing place in 2027.
Warbrick, 28, is a former All Blacks Sevens star, who won Olympic silver at Tokyo 2020, before switching codes and bringing up 50 games with the Storm last year. When he debuted for NZ Kiwis in 2024, he effectively became a triple international – he had also played for the NZ Aussie Rules side as a teenager.
Webster usually steers well clear of discussing contract rumours and was clearly in neither-confirm-nor-deny mode at the Warriors’ weekly media session, but also urged caution over such speculation.
“If he were to come here or if it were to eventuate, I would comment more, but at this stage, he’s off contract, as are another 40-50-60 players in the NRL,” he said. “Every player we get tagged to, we just can’t be commenting straight away.”
Often, these rumours are simply a case of managers creating a market for their players by driving up demand. If a player is supposedly talking to one club, he can leverage that to ask more from another.
“I honestly believe most of the time it is, but not all the time,” Webster agreed. “Because I’m in the know, I look at it case by case, and I’ll either laugh or say, ‘Jeez, they’re onto something there’.
Warriors coach Andrew Webster. DAVE HUNT/Photosport
“A lot of the time, we’re linked to players that we’re not even close to signing or I get a text message from someone saying, ‘I heard so-and-so is starting tonight’, but no, they’re not.
“I don’t know where it comes from, but sometimes where there’s smoke, there’s fire and sometimes they’re just miles off. Sometimes they’re just trying to pump up the price.”
That same rumour mill has current Warriors co-captain Mitch Barnett landing with the Brisbane Broncos next year, when he leaves the club early and returns across the ditch for family reasons.
The Warbrick signing would make sense for the Warriors, with veteran wing Roger Tuivasa-Sheck also off contract this year.
“Will’s career so far has been awesome, going from rugby and given a shot at rugby league with Melbourne,” Tuivasa-Sheck said. “He’s been awesome.
“I can’t fault how he’s been playing and big ups to him for getting these big-deal chats.
“There’s nothing negative about it. I’ll just stay here and make sure I focus on my footy, and see how it all falls out.”
The former All Black will celebrate his 150th game for the club this week against Canberra Raiders and has been linked with a switch back to rugby union for the proposed R360 rebel tournament, which has now moved its launch back to 2028.
The NRL has threatened a 10-year ban on any player signing for the breakaway competition, and Kangaroos and NSW Origin star Zac Lomax has had to switch to Western Force in Super Rugby Pacific in the meantime.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
