LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
Warriors enforcer Addin Fonua-Blake has shocked the team by requesting a release from his contract ahead of the 2024 season.
The forward, who was one of the standout players in the 2023 NRL season, wants to return to Sydney to be closer to his parents.
Coach Andrew Webster would have been hoping to build on the team's success from last season, but this news comes as a major blow.
Fonua-Blake joined the Warriors in 2021 after leaving Manly and has since become a key player for the New Zealand outfit.
He has played 62 games for the team and was reportedly the highest-paid prop in the game last year, earning over $1 million per season.
The 27-year-old has also represented both New Zealand and Tonga on the international stage.
This bombshell request from Fonua-Blake is sure to spark a transfer saga, with several Sydney teams looking to bolster their front-row department.
The Dragons, Wests Tigers, Eels, Bulldogs, and his former team Manly are all rumored to be interested in signing the talented prop.
It remains to be seen where Fonua-Blake will end up, but his departure will undoubtedly leave a void in the Warriors' forward pack.