Despite securing a long-term deal elsewhere, the New Zealand Warriors have no intention of letting Luke Metcalf leave before the end of the 2026 season.
Metcalf will join the St George Illawarra Dragons in 2027 on a three-year deal after being granted an early release from the final two years of his contract, despite having previously extended his stay at the Warriors until the end of 2028.
The move comes after a frustrating campaign for the 27-year-old, whose place in the side has disappeared following an ACL injury last season and the emergence of Tanah Boyd.
A hamstring strain sidelined Metcalf three months ago, but even after recovering, he has remained out of the NRL side.
His continued absence raised eyebrows after Boyd suffered a season-ending ACL injury at Magic Round, with the Warriors instead opting for Te Maire Martin and Chanel Harris-Tavita in the halves while keeping Metcalf in the NSW Cup.
Metcalf's management inquired about an immediate release before the June 30 deadline, but the Warriors rejected the request, determined to retain their playmaking depth for a finals campaign.
Warriors CEO Cameron George said the club never considered allowing Metcalf to depart before the season's conclusion.
“While Luke's not going to be with us in the future, he's still well regarded within the club, particularly for the now and we've learned over the years gone by how depth will carry a long way in the competition, particularly in the finals,” George told The Daily Telegraph.
“And we're one club that knows full well how much damage, if you don't have the depth there, it can do to our season.
“On the back of that, Luke's a part of our club; he is a part of our squad; he is very valued, and opportunities will come.
“Our kids are playing well, Te Maire and Chanel, but Luke's in the wings.
“So it gives us great confidence knowing that, going into the back end of the year, it's going to be so critical to have class right across the park and have him step in if need be.
George also praised Metcalf's professionalism despite being overlooked since returning from injury.
“He understands his role; it was no question of ours to let him go. We wanted to keep him. And to Luke's credit, he's training and competing every day at training with the boys to be ready when that call comes.
“We've got a window right now, and we know where we're at. We know what we're coming back from injury-wise at the back end of the year.
“We want the best squad to win the competition, and that's going to take more than just 17 players.”
Metcalf has again been named among the Warriors' reserves this week, but is expected to line up in the NSW Cup when the reserve-grade side takes on the Dragons earlier in the day.
Despite his continued omission from Andrew Webster's first-grade side, the five-eighth has continued to impress in reserve grade.
Across his past four NSW Cup appearances, Metcalf has recorded two line breaks, six line-break assists, six try assists, two tries, kicked 14 goals from 19 attempts and scored 36 points, ensuring he remains ready should the Warriors call on him during the run to the finals.
