Huge news broke on Tuesday that Warriors and NSW Blues prop Mitchell Barnett will be leaving the club at the end of the 2026 season.
The monster middle was having a career best start to the season in 2025 before an ACL ended his year in horror circumstances.
He will return to the Warriors, hopefully as soon as Round 1, but now fans face the unfortunate scenario of knowing he is moving at seasons end.
Barnett needs to be closer to home to care for his child.
Being he is from Taree, this rules out the likes of the cashed up Perth Bears.
Where will Mitch Barnett end up in 2027 I hear you ask? Well, there won't be any worries re potential suitors, with nearly every club in the competition likely to be on alert following the announcement.
Here are five potential landing spots for Mitchell Barnett for 2027:
5. Brisbane Broncos
Another move that would be a little further away than ideal, but again, a Brisbane to Newcastle flight is an hour and 15 minutes.
The quickest way to move on from someone special is to find someone new.
Payne Haas broke the collective hearts of Brisbane fans and there is absolutely no way they'll ever recover from such news.
Unless they sign Mitch Barnett!
The Warriors two seasons ago announced that they would be allowing Addin Fonua-Blake to return to Australia. Fans were broken. Until they announced the signing of James Fisher-Harris.
Let me be clear here, there is no replacing Payne Haas! That said, Mitch Barnett, his fellow NSW prop, is a fairly handy pick up.
They obviously now have the money available, and the spot to offer.
Brisbane is a marquee market and a side likely to contend for titles for years to come.
If Brisbane is not too far from home, then this looks a near perfect fit.
Get set for the footy with the FREE Zero Tackle 2026 NRL Season Guide! Packed with 130+ pages of player profiles, team previews, insights and analysis, the 2026 NRL Season Guide is built for fans who want the full picture. Download your free Season Guide HERE.
