Warriors prop Matt Lodge is expected to assess his options in the open market in order to hopefully remain in Australia next season.
After spending a majority of the past three seasons on Australian shores, the Warriors are finally set to return home in the back half of this season before residing in Auckland permanently from next year.
According toย The Sydney Morning Herald,ย the former Tigers and Broncos forward is looking to remain in Australia for family reasons - with a reported three-year extension knocked back by Lodge prior to the start of the season.
Warriors senior coach Nathan Brown has flagged that Lodge looms "more likely [to be] staying [in] Sydney" from next year onwards.
โI couldnโt answer that one honestly. If I answered one way or the other Iโd be throwing a dart, so I couldnโt give you a true indication," Brown told media this week.
โHis football will provide opportunities for not only us but other clubs to be looking at him. I thought he was our best player last week and heโs certainly starting to get some real consistency about what heโs doing.
โIf Lodgey keeps playing as is, heโll sell himself somewhere.โ
The Dolphins are understood to be among the interested suitors in Lodge's signature, with the NRL expansion club's recruitment manager Peter O'Sullivan already tied to Lodge as the 26-year-old's father-in-law.
O'Sullivan was the Warriors' head recruiter when Lodge was pried from Red Hill midway through last season, with the latter having signed with the Warriors on a deal that would include a player-option deal for 2023.
The Warriors are anticipated to lose Euan Aitken to a rival club, with the second-rower also keen to remain down under.
Brown has already bid farewell to half Kodi Nikorima this week, with the Kiwi international venturing to South Sydney while Roosters pair Roland Volkman and Freddy Lussick joined the Warriors on the same day,
Phenom fullback Reece Walsh has constantly had his name speculated to the exit door at the Warriors, however the Queensland product has put a line through any return to his home state.
Along with Lodge and Aitken, the Warriors will also have contract calls to make for Bunty Afoa, Daejarn Asi, Channel Harris-Tavita, Jack Murchie, Iliesa Ratuva, Pride Petterson-Robati and Jazz Tevaga (player option), who are off-contract this year.
The club are set to welcome Dylan Walker, Marata Niukore, Luke Metcalf and Mitch Barnett from 2023.
