The New Zealand Warriors chief executive has confirmed centre Adam Pompey will join the departure list for 2026.

Pompey has played 136 NRL games over eight seasons in Auckland, and made 17 appearances this year in their finals push.

With speculation rising that Pompey was linked with an exit to join the Melbourne Storm, George has confirmed an official announcement is not far away.

"We're just finalising it all and the club will make a formal announcement about that today or tomorrow. But yes, that looks to be the case," George told Sport Nation's Scotty & Izzy.

Pompey will join high-profile stars Luke Metcalf (Dragons) and Mitchell Barnett (Broncos), who will be returning to Australia with other NRL opportunities.

The Warriors are looking to revamp their backline moving into 2027, with incoming stars Will Warbrick and Grant Anderson pushing for starting spots next year.

Pompey spent 2017 and 2018 in the Sydney Roosters system, but made his presence felt during the COVID-19 affected seasons of 2020 and 2021.

NRL Rd 26 – Warriors v Eels
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - AUGUST 29: Adam Pompey of the Warriors scores a try, which was then disallowed by the video bunker during the round 26 NRL match between the New Zealand Warriors and Parramatta Eels at Go Media Stadium on August 29, 2025, in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

It's where he started to kick things off in his career, with increased features in the Warriors side since his 2019 NRL debut, where he made five appearances.

The Warriors bowed out of the premiership race after back-to-back losses in the finals to South Sydney and Newcastle.

The club played Week 2 in front of a historic Eden Park crowd, marking the highest attendance for an NRL match in New Zealand.

The nasty abuse towards referee Ashley Klein, who had rubbish and bottles thrown at him following an exit from the match, overshadowed the significant achievement in Auckland.

“It gives you the shits, doesn't it?" George said.
"I know the frustration was there and I know that disappointment and we're all seeing it and feeling it, but that's the worst thing we could have done.
“It let us down a lot, so we're really disappointed with those individuals.”
George conceded he hopes "significant penalties" will follow for those found guilt of hurling objects at Klein and the referee team following the Newcastle match.
“I completely get the emotion, the frustration, but that's not the way to handle it,” George added.
“You know, just leave it to me to go to the NRL the next morning and do it that way.”
NRL Semi Final – Warriors v Knights
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - SEPTEMBER 20: Referee Ashley Klein talks to James Fisher-Harris of the Warriors during the NRL Semi Final match between the New Zealand Warriors and Newcastle Knights at Eden Park on September 20, 2026, in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Despite plenty of disappointment from fans who were expecting the Warriors to go deep into the finals hunt after a promising build-up, George promised the club will return to September football and continue to improve into a powerhouse franchise.
“From a footy sense, we're a semi-final club. We're a finals club now,” he said.
"That's a big shift away from where we were, and we're getting used to that expectation and that level of intensity week in, week out, and we're preparing well to match it with all the clubs around the competition.
"That's a really good position we've found ourselves in now. And we are dedicated to improving that, absolutely."