The New Zealand Warriors’ season may have ended in disappointment, but one of its forwards is allegedly garnering interest from a number of Australian NRL clubs.
Bunty Afoa made his Warriors debut in 2016, and he rapidly established himself as a prominent member of the club’s forward pack, appearing in more than 20 games in five consecutive seasons from 2018-2023.
However, the 28-year-old only made nine appearances this season and was frequently pushed down the pecking order and forced to play in the NSW Cup, losing out to younger talent like Leka Halasimi.
Afoa, who has played the fewest games since his rookie season, is under contract with the club until the end of next season, but his time there could end sooner than planned.
Wide World of Sports reports that Afoa, who can deal with rival teams as of November 1, has piqued the interest of numerous Australian NRL clubs.
While the publication has not revealed which teams are interested in his services, it understands that he is being considered for the 2025 season. This would necessitate the Warriors issuing him an early release from his contract.
Throughout his career, he has made 138 first-grade appearances and has even represented Samoa eight times from 2016 to 2022.
On Sunday, the club confirmed the exits of Addin Fonua-Blake (Cronulla Sharks), Jazz Tevaga, and Shaun Johnson (retirement), and stated that it will shortly focus on players who will be out of contract at the end of next season, including Afoa.
The Warriors have 13 players who will be free to deal with rival teams starting November 1 for the 2026 season and beyond. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Te Maire Martin top this list.
However, it also contains Tom Ale, Jackson Ford, Tohu Harris, Edward Kosi, Ali Leiataua, Marcelo Montoya, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Adam Pompey, Taine Tuaupiki, and Dylan Walker.
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